The Los Angeles Dodgers head into 2026 with a champagne problem - too many capable arms for too few rotation spots. With Clayton Kershaw officially stepping away from the game, the team is turning the page on a legendary era.
But don’t mistake that for a rebuild. This is still a rotation built to win now, and the front office has some fascinating decisions ahead.
The core is elite. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow form a frontline trio that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in baseball.
Behind them, Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki offer upside and intrigue - two young arms with very different profiles but plenty of promise. And then there’s Shohei Ohtani, who may not be a full-time starter in 2026 as he continues his return to the mound, but he’ll still be part of the mix.
Add in Gavin Stone and River Ryan - both coming off injuries but expected to be in the fold - and you’ve got a rotation room that’s standing-room only. That’s why the Dodgers are seriously considering a six-man rotation, as general manager Brandon Gomes recently confirmed. It’s not just about managing innings; it’s about maximizing talent while protecting arms that have dealt with health issues in the past.
Even with a six-man rotation, the Dodgers have more starters than spots. That kind of depth is a luxury, but it also opens the door to some creative maneuvering this offseason.
Option 1: Stay the Course
The simplest path is to do nothing. Keep everyone.
Ride the depth. After all, the 2025 season proved how quickly a seemingly deep rotation can thin out.
Snell, Glasnow, and Sasaki all missed significant time, and both Snell and Glasnow have long injury histories. Having extra arms in Oklahoma City - where Stone, Ryan, and even Sasaki could be optioned - gives the Dodgers insurance without making any drastic moves.
But stashing big-league-ready arms in Triple-A isn’t always the most efficient use of resources, especially when those arms could help plug other holes on the roster.
Option 2: Deal from Strength
This is where things get interesting. The Dodgers have been linked to Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan for a while now, and the fit is hard to ignore.
With a glaring need in left field and Kwan’s elite defense and contact skills, he’d be a natural addition. Packaging a young, controllable starter or two - think Stone or Ryan - could be the ticket to getting a deal done.
Kwan’s a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glover, and his glove alone would be a massive upgrade over what the Dodgers got from Michael Conforto last year. Add in his ability to get on base and set the table, and you’ve got a player who could make a real impact at the top of the lineup.
Option 3: Double Down
Then there’s the bold approach: turn a strength into an even bigger strength.
The Dodgers could look to upgrade the back end of their six-man rotation by trading for another established starter. Tigers ace Tarik Skubal would be a dream fit, but that’s likely a non-starter. A more realistic - but still impactful - target could be Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins.
Ryan, 29, has the kind of stuff and polish that would slot beautifully into this rotation. But pulling off a deal for him wouldn’t solve the logjam unless the Dodgers also moved some of their existing arms.
Minnesota, if they’re looking to reset, might prefer prospects over near-MLB-ready pitchers like Stone or River Ryan. So the Dodgers would likely need to dip into their farm system to make that happen.
Option 4: Go Big - Really Big
Of course, there’s always the nuclear option: do both.
Package prospects to land Joe Ryan from Minnesota. Then flip a couple of surplus starters to Cleveland for Kwan.
Suddenly, you’re looking at a 2026 rotation of Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, Joe Ryan, Sasaki, and Ohtani or Sheehan in the sixth spot. That’s not just deep - that’s dominant.
Defensively, Kwan locks down left field and gives the Dodgers one of the best outfield units in the league. Offensively, the lineup becomes even more balanced, with Kwan’s bat-to-ball skills complementing the power bats around him.
It’s the kind of aggressive, win-now maneuvering we’ve seen from the Dodgers before. And with Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes pulling the strings, there’s no reason to think they won’t explore every avenue.
The rotation depth is real. The trade chips are there.
The only question is how ambitious the Dodgers want to be. And if history is any indication, they won’t be playing it safe.