ORLANDO, FL — At the beginning of this offseason Dodgers gave the signal willingness to be patient and methodically build your list for 2026.
At least for the start of MLB's winter meetings this week, the team will be in Orlando, Florida, and have remained true to form so far.
Compared to the tumultuous offseason of the last two winters, the Dodgers were noticeably quiet after their second straight game. World Series Championship. Their only free agent deal was to re-sign veteran infielder Miguel Rojas. Their only deal was a trade of minor league pitchers with the Seattle Mariners. The biggest news so far was their decision non-tender pitcher Evan Phillips (and they may very well bring it back).
Behind the scenes, of course, there were efforts to do more. The team was unable to pursue free agents Raisel Iglesias and Devin Williams. They studied the trading market and laid the potential groundwork for possible future moves.
But at the moment, the question of what exactly awaits them in winter remains unanswered.
And in all likelihood, it may ultimately be dictated by who they're willing to part with as they look to reshape their roster.
The trade market has looked like a Dodgers game all offseason. the most logical way to update your composition – the place where they could most easily fill their bullpen and outfield needs while avoiding having to add another long-term contract to their expensive and aging core.
There are also plenty of targets, from Brendan Donovan or Lars Nootbar of the St. Louis Cardinals to Jarren Durant or Villier Abreu of the Boston Red Sox to potentially even bigger names like Cleveland's Stephen Kwan or Minnesota's Byron Buxton (though the latter is reportedly unlikely to get the deal this offseason).
Oh, and while there remains at least a slight chance that the Detroit Tigers will trade two-time Cy Young pitcher Tarik Skubal, you can bet the Dodgers will be keeping an eye on that situation as well.
For the President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman & Co., the challenge will be to try to develop a trade package to implement any of these steps.
The Dodgers have a lot of chips to put on the table, with plenty of young pitching depth and a minor league farm system that ranks as perhaps the best in sports. But balancing it all and finding value remains a challenge. That's why, despite trade rumors, don't be surprised to see a potentially wide range of familiar names in such speculation.
The team's most obvious draw, of course, remains its collection of young talent. They have a number of highly touted outfielder prospects they could potentially deal with, including Josue De Paula, Zihir Hope, Eduardo Quintero and several others. They have a former prospect in Dalton Rushingwho has struggled throughout his rookie season but still has promising raw tools.
First of all, they have a lot of young pitchers who could also help make a strong comeback, from rising minor league prospect Jackson Ferris to returning 2024 starters. River Ryan And Gavin Stonepotentially even more established major league names such as Justin Wrobleski (a natural starting pitcher who was stuck as a swingman in the bullpen last year) and Emmet Sheehan (who is at about the same point in his career as the former Dodgers prospect) Ryan Pepiot this was when they gave it to him two winters ago).
However, the Dodgers continue to prioritize the future. They want to go to historic three-pit next season. But they also know that at some point in the coming years they will need to attract a new generation of talent to maintain their championship window.
Therefore, any young player who is traded now will incur a potential cost in the future.
That may help explain why young players haven't been the only ones at the center of trade rumors surrounding the team in recent weeks.
Last month, ESPN quoted an anonymous MLB executive who described Tyler Glasnow as a potential sleeper name in this year's trading market. The Athletic reported this last week. Teoscar HernandezHis name has also come up in trade discussions.
Of course, the chances of any of them getting change seem low. And for now, they expect to remain key cogs in the fight for another World Series title next year.
At the same time, however, they are also veterans, approaching 30 years of age, and facing significant paydays over the next few seasons. And if the Dodgers can find deals to move them – either as a way to shore up other positions on the roster or to clear out money for a potential free agent signing – it's entirely possible that the club could pull the trigger.
Ultimately, for a front office that is aware of the age of its roster and trying to juggle both short-term and long-term goals, such considerations reflect the wide net the Dodgers are believed to be casting this offseason; They were in some kind of conscious, exploratory mode, assessing the potential paths of this winter.
Perhaps the team's biggest goals will become clearer this week when they face rival clubs during the league's annual winter meetings at the Signia by Hilton here in Orlando.
But for now, they appear to be keeping their options open, content with a slower winter pace as they continue to let the free agent market and trade develop around them.
