After watching the Dodgers get swept by the Brewers in the NLCS, all their fans can do is lean into the lament of their fandom forefathers in Brooklyn: “Wait Till Next Year!” But nobody knows when the next year of baseball will begin or how the competitive landscape will shift. The only thing we do know is that, for as long as they’re able, the Dodgers will crush the rest of the league with their wallet.
The last time the Dodgers failed to win a ring (after the 2023 season), they changed the face of their franchise and baseball. Signing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Teoscar Hernandez cost more than a billion dollars, but each player has contributed to the Dodgers’ title teams. They’ve done better with those deals than with last offseason’s splurge. The early returns on Edwin Diaz and Kyle Tucker are bad, but not to the extent that they’re likely to slow the Dodgers’ future spending. Only a new CBA that slaps the cuffs on baseball’s biggest spenders, the Dodgers, the Mets, and the Yankees, could do that. But nothing will change until the expected lockout begins in December, and there’s plenty of time and plenty of available impact players between now and then.
Anyone who watched the Dodgers struggle to mount an effective offense or mute the Brewers’ bats can see the team has problems. Left-handed starter and deadline pickup Tarik Skubal is not one of them, but he is the market’s most desirable free agent.
While the Dodgers have spent big on starting pitching before with Yamamoto, Glasnow, Ohtani, and Blake Snell, only Yamamoto has been a durable ace. The others have been great, but only in limited bursts when healthy. Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki have tried to fill in the gaps, but is that enough?
The real question isn’t whether the Dodgers re-sign Skubal; it’s for how much, and whether they stop there, especially if Ohtani starts to transition away from mound work. Do they need another starter they can pencil in for 165 innings, or are they willing to chase the playoff upside of another part-time ace? Michael King, Clay Holmes, and Kevin Gausman are all reasonable fits. Would Jacob deGrom waive his no-trade to bolster his Hall of Fame case with another ring?
The impending departures of free agents Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Alex Vesia could give the Dodgers an opportunity to reinvent their bullpen. Could they pursue the kind of super-bullpen the Brewers and division-rival Padres deployed, building up around Tanner Scott and a hopefully restored Edwin Diaz? With only a year left on his deal and the Brewers’ history of trading players ahead of free agency, the Brewers may be willing to move their closer, Trevor Megill. The Padres are seemingly always down to deal – what would it take for the Dodgers to pry Mason Miller loose? In free agency, another key member of that Padres bullpen, Adrian Morejon, headlines the bullpen class. The Yankees’ closer, David Bednar, is also available.
With the lineup lacking punch due to injury and ineffectiveness, the Dodgers could also look to spend big in either dollars, prospects, or both. Reportedly available Nationals middle infielder CJ Abrams is only 26 and would be a dynamic addition to a Dodgers team with too many stars on the wrong side of 30. The cross-town Angels might be looking to capitalize on their young shortstop, Zach Neto, and the Astros could try to kickstart a rebuild by dealing Jeremy Pena before he becomes a high-cost free agent in 2028. Bringing in a young star like any of those three could cost the Dodgers one of their top prospects, like outfielders Josue De Paula and Eduardo Quintero, or pitcher Christian Zazueta. Alternatively, they could embrace the hit-tool-over-power, allergic-to-strikeouts game of free agent Luis Arraez. Former NPB MVP Teruaki Sato is another intriguing option once he’s posted, though the defensive fit is tougher.
If the Dodgers want to make space for De Paula in the big league lineup after a strong September cameo, they could move Teoscar Hernandez, whose contract runs through 2027. Ditto if they want to pursue a free agent like Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki. Or trade for Ronald Acuna Jr., should he miraculously come available in a trade.
It all depends on how shocking the Skubal deal ends up being, but it’s unlikely the Dodgers will drop another billion on improvements. But historic precedent and looming circumstances make big swings seem inevitable. With that, the Dodgers will put themselves in the best position to contend in 2027 and beyond, no matter the new rules inflicted upon them.
Another spending spree will also give commissioner Rob Manfred and the owners the big bad that their pro-salary cap narrative needs after a small-market World Series. So everybody wins, except the rest of the league, which the Dodgers are about to punish for having their dynastic run interrupted.
SPORT On Location
We sent photographer Perry Hall into the heart of the swamp, New Jersey’s Meadowlands, on a rainy Sunday to document two of the NFL’s most passionate fan bases. The rain never let up, nor did the Jets defense, in a sloppy, 17-12 victory for New York. Check out Hall’s all-access day at MetLife Stadium in SPORT and Cleveland magazine collaborative photo series.
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