Freddie Freeman didn’t buy the idea that the Dodgers’ playoff problems came down to age, even as Los Angeles carried the oldest roster in the Majors into the 2026 season.
That issue lingered over the club at different points during the year, but it got loudest during the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers beat the Dodgers at their own game and swept them, leaving Los Angeles on the wrong end of a frustrating series and a disappointing finish to Thursday’s Game 4.
Before that loss, Freeman pushed back on the notion that the Dodgers were undone because they were too seasoned.
“I haven’t heard that because I don’t really pay attention outside the lines, but I don’t know what you can really say to that,” Freeman said of the age discourse. “That’s just people’s opinions.
We do know we have an older team. That doesn’t mean we’re old and we’re playing bad because we’re old.
“We’re just not playing that great, in my mind. But that’s people’s opinions.
I can’t change your opinion because we are in this game a little bit older than everybody else. I don’t feel old.
So hopefully when you watch us play tonight, you can say we don’t look old and we win the game.”
The Dodgers’ season ended with a sour note, closing the book on a three-year run.
Still, there’s a path forward already in place. Josue De Paula is part of the next wave, and the organization will be looking to build around more young talent after MLB Pipeline ranked its farm system No. 1 in the Majors.
The front office knew the roster was going to need a reset in direction sooner rather than later. The moves made for 2026 were built to squeeze every last bit out of the current championship window, a one-shot push toward one more title run. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said adding younger players to the roster was already part of the discussion last offseason.
With the season now over, those conversations figure to become even more important heading into 2027.
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For the Dodgers, it is another sign that the catching picture is crowded and that there was little room for a return trip. Rortvedt is now expected to look for his next opportunity elsewhere heading into the coming season, while Los Angeles moves forward with multiple catchers already on its 40-man roster. [Read more 🡒]
Freddie Freeman Shares Dodgers Regret After Miguel Rojas Decision
Miguel Rojas is closing the book on a 13-year MLB career that included multiple stints with the Dodgers, and his announcement lands with a little extra weight around a clubhouse that knows exactly what he meant to the organization. Rojas had even left open the possibility of coming back if Los Angeles had managed to win a third straight title, a reminder of how much this past seasons finish shaped the conversation around his future.
Instead, the Dodgers were swept in the National League Championship Series, and the end of that run helped set the stage for Rojas to move on from playing. He is expected to transition into a role within the Dodgers front office, keeping him close to the organization even as his days on the field are over, and it leaves one more what-if tied to a player who clearly meant a lot to the teams core. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Prospects Are Giving Fans An Early Look At Two Intriguing Arms
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Among them, Sam Horn has made a strong first impression in his professional debut, piling up five strikeouts in four innings, and Brooks Auger has followed with a second start that included three strikeouts over two frames despite allowing two runs. Keith Law of The Athletic offered scouting observations on both pitchers, adding another layer of intrigue to what the Dodgers are learning in the desert as the fall schedule continues. [Read more 🡒]