Earlier this offseason, the team indicated it would be methodical in building its roster for 2026.
At least the team will arrive in Orlando, Fla., on track so far, when the MLB Winter Meetings begin this week.
Compared to the whirlwind offseasons of the past two winters, the Dodgers have been noticeably quiet after hitting .100 for the second straight season. Their only free agent contract is the re-signing of . Their only trade was for a minor league pitcher with the Seattle Mariners. The biggest news right now was that they made a decision (there’s a good chance they end up bringing him back).
Of course, much more has been going on behind the scenes. The team pursued free agent relievers Raisel Iglesias and Devin Williams but fell short. They scrutinized the trade market and laid the potential foundations for future moves.
But for now, exactly what their winter will be like remains largely unanswered.
And perhaps it could ultimately come down to who they’re willing to part with as they work to reshape their roster.
Throughout the offseason, the trade market looked similar to the Dodgers. This is where the Dodgers can most easily strengthen their bullpen and outfield needs, avoiding the need to add new long-term contracts to an expensive and aging core.
There are plenty of targets to pursue, including Brendan Donovan and Lars Nootvaal of the St. Louis Cardinals, Jalen Duran and Wylier Abreu of the Boston Red Sox, and even big names like Cleveland’s Steven Kwan and Minnesota’s Byron Buxton (although the latter is reportedly unlikely to be acquired this offseason).
Oh, and as long as there’s even the slightest possibility that two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Tarik Skubal will be traded to the Detroit Tigers, the Dodgers will be keeping an eye on the situation.
The challenge for the president of Baseball Operations and Company will be to put together a trade package to make such a move.
The Dodgers have a deep pool of young pitchers and perhaps the best minor league farm system in the sport, so they have a lot of chips to bring to the table. But balancing everything while finding value remains a challenge. That’s why, with trade rumors flying around, don’t be surprised to see a potentially wide range of familiar names being thrown around in such speculation.
Of course, the team’s most obvious trade bait remains its collection of young talent. They have a lineup of highly-touted outfield prospects who could potentially be traded, including Josue de Paula, Jehir Hope, Eduardo Quintero, and several others. They have a former top prospect who struggled through his rookie year but still has the raw tools to show promise.
Best of all, there are plenty of young pitchers who could help make a great return, from minor league prospect Jackson Feliz, a breakout rookie in 2024, to even more established big league names like (a natural starting pitcher who remained in a swingman role in the bullpen last year) and (the former Dodgers’ top prospect is at about the same stage in his career as when he was acquired two winters ago).
But the Dodgers are still prioritizing the future. They aim to. But they also know that at some point over the next few years, they will need to cycle through a new generation of talent to maintain a championship window.
Therefore, young players traded now could have future costs.
This may help explain why young players aren’t the only players involved in trade rumors within the team in recent weeks.
Last month, ESPN quoted one unnamed MLB executive saying he was a potential “sleeper name” on the trade market this year. Last week, The Athletic reported that his name was also mentioned in trade talks.
Indeed, it seems unlikely that either will be given away. And for now, they appear to remain key cogs in their bid to win a World Series title next year.
But they’re also veterans who are entering their mid-30s and will be paid big salaries over the next few seasons. And even if the Dodgers find a deal to move him, either as a way to shore up other spots on the roster or as a way to unload money for a potential free agent deal, it’s certainly not impossible for the club to pull the trigger.
Ultimately, for a front office conscious of its aging roster and trying to juggle both short-term and long-term goals, such considerations reflect the wide net the Dodgers appear to be casting this offseason. They were in a kind of purposeful, exploratory mode as they evaluated possible paths through this winter.
Perhaps the team’s most serious pursuit will become clearer this week as it takes on a rival club at the league’s annual winter meetings here at the Signia by Hilton in Orlando.
But for now, they seem content to slow down in the winter as they keep their options open and continue to allow both the free agency and trade markets to develop around them.
