The Dodgers are heading into the offseason with a roster that doesn’t exactly scream panic. The lineup is stacked, the rotation is loaded, and the club’s bigger question isn’t about chasing another headline-grabber at the top of the market.
Instead, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez says the real priority sits in the bullpen.
“Is it a major need? No,” Gonzalez writes.
"... But it's the biggest need on a roster where the lineup and the rotation are already packed with stars and depth."
That’s a notable shift in focus for a team that just got swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, dropping four straight games even while holding the lead in every one of them. The Dodgers are now trying to sort through what matters most this winter, and the answer, at least from Gonzalez’s view, is relief help rather than a splashy pursuit of Tarik Skubal.
Skubal would be the dream add, sure, but that dream comes with a massive price tag. Gonzalez noted that the left-hander is likely headed for a deal north of $300 million total, and with the uncertainty around MLB payrolls, the Dodgers may be smarter keeping their resources aimed elsewhere.
That elsewhere is the bullpen, even if the group is hardly bare. Edwin Diaz, Will Klein, Tanner Scott and Edgardo Henriquez are still in place, and names like Roki Sasaki and Jack Dryer could also factor into relief plans going forward.
Even so, the Dodgers could lose some familiar late-inning pieces. Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips and Blake Treinen are all set to hit the open market, which makes the case for adding at least one or two relievers stronger than it might look at first glance.
The broader point is simple: this isn’t a roster begging for a reset. Gonzalez sees the Dodgers as already strong enough across the lineup and rotation that bullpen reinforcements rise to the top of the list. Skubal would be nice, but he’s not the answer to the biggest offseason question.
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