Dodgers Opinion: My Dodgers Offseason Wish List

LOS ANGELES, CA—With the calendar turning to December and the holidays right around the corner, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers making little noise in the offseason, I figured now would be the time to share my offseason wish list.

While Andrew Friedman and Co. have stood pat so far during the offseason, things should start to heat up with the annual Winter Meetings set to take place next week in Orlando, Florida, and with multiple free agents still on the board, they’ll try to find new homes before the start of the New Year.

That said, what do I think still needs to get done for the Dodgers to truly have a shot at a three-peat? Let’s take a look.

Add an Impact Outfielder (Preferably a Center Fielder)

The common theme this offseason is the Dodgers’ need for an impact, Major League-ready outfielder to pair with Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández.

The plan last offseason, with a one-year stopgap in Michael Conforto, backfired tremendously, as the veteran left-handed hitter put together one of the worst offensive seasons and was left off the postseason roster entirely.

Even with Hernández in the fold, he had a subpar season with the bat compared to what he did during the 2024 season, and while you expect him to rebound, the Dodgers would benefit from another impactful bat.

While the likes of Kyle Tucker, Steven Kwan, and even a reunion with Cody Bellinger are all on the table, my preferred target is Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.

Duran, 29, has been involved in trade rumors over the last year, with the Red Sox eager to ship one of their surplus of outfielders for their needs elsewhere on the roster.

The energetic outfielder is coming off a “down” season, during which the left-handed hitter still posted 3.9 fWAR while slashing .256/.332/.442 with a 111 wRC+ and flashing above-average defense, ranking in the 63rd percentile in Fielding Run Value.

However, where most of Duran’s value comes from is his breakout 2024 season, where he doubled his fWAR to 6.8 along with an elite 138 wRC+.

During the 2024 season, Duran set career highs in home runs (21), runs (111), and stolen bases (34), along with an absurd 7.7 defensive WAR and ranking 95th in OAA.

Duran still has three years of control before becoming a free agent at the end of the 2028 season, and with just a $7.7 million salary for the 2026 season, he will fetch a high asking price in the trade market.

As for the Red Sox side of things, as mentioned above, they’re looking for reinforcements for their starting rotation, and the Dodgers have a surplus of young controllable pitchers such as Gavin Stone, River Ryan, and Emmet Sheehan, along with multiple young outfield prospects to get a deal done.

In a team that just won the World Series, their biggest weakness was the outfield for much of the regular season.

A Duran trade would not only improve their outfield production but also allow the roster to get a bit younger, too.

Revamp the Bullpen

While the outfield is one area the Dodgers would like to improve, perhaps an even more pressing need is the bullpen, which was a significant issue for the team in the second half.

Despite the Dodgers re-signing veteran right-hander Blake Treinen and inking the two top relief pitchers on the free agent market, none of them were impactful come October.

While Treinen was on the roster the entire postseason run, he was not used in a role as he had been in the past.

Scott and Yates were left off the postseason rosters altogether after struggling down the stretch and landing on the injured list.

While Yates is now a free agent, the Dodgers will still have Treinen rostered for one more season and Scott for another three seasons.

The Dodgers could use their surplus of starters to take spots in the bullpen with a combination of Roki Sasaki, Gavin Stone, River Ryan, and Justin Wrobleski shifting roles there, but Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes does not see that as being the case.

The team has been linked to multiple late-inning right-handed options such as former National League All-Star closer Devin Williams and former Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, but we’ve yet to see them come off the board.

It would be hard to imagine Andrew Friedman and Co. giving out another payday to a bullpen arm on the free agent market, something they’ve steered clear of in the past.

Perhaps the team looks at the trade market, but even those options are few and far between.

Regardless, the Dodgers will have to look for ways to optimize the bullpen next season, while also hoping for a rebound year from Tanner Scott.

Still, an arm or two brought in this offseason shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

Try to Get Younger

After winning consecutive World Series, the Dodgers now have another challenge in trying to become the first three-peat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees: getting younger while staying in contention.

Rebuild has not been in the vocabulary of the new Dodgers ownership, as the team has posted a winning record every year since 2012 and made the postseason every year since 2013.

However, their star-studded lineup was the oldest in Major League Baseball last season, something that must change moving forward.

According to Baseball Reference’s calculations, the Dodgers’ average batter was 30.7 years old, making them only the second team in the league with an average over 30 (the Philadelphia Phillies ranked No. 2 at 30.3).

Most of their primary hitters are in their 30s, such as Freddie Freeman (36), Max Muncy (35), Mookie Betts (33), Hernández (33), Shohei Ohtani (31), Will Smith (30), and Tommy Edman (30). This isn’t necessarily a concern — these aren’t aging stars well past their prime. However, the Dodgers may consider adding a young bat or two to diversify the lineup.

For the Dodgers, there are multiple young stars in the free-agent market, such as Kyle Tucker (28), who is seeking a seven-plus-year deal, and in the trade market, with Jarren Duran as the No. 1 target this winter.

Still, the Dodgers’ dominance is not a one-off instance. Per MLB Pipeline, the Dodgers’ farm system ranked first overall in the sport by season’s end, headed by Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope, who each could possibly make an impact by the end of the upcoming season should they not be involved in a trade this offseason.

Father Time remains undefeated, and if the Dodgers want to maintain their window while also staying in World Series contention, they’ll have to get creative while also hoping their pipeline of talent is legit.

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