Except for an unexpected strike to find a star nearby Edwin Diaz during the Winter Meetings, it’s been an unusually quiet season for the Dodgers. On some level, that’s understandable. The team didn’t have any key players leave in free agency this offseason, and they just won their second consecutive World Series title back in November. While Los Angeles has spent the past few offseasons building a juggernaut by adding young players Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snellagain Tyler Glasnowthere’s little urgency to continue piling up star talent at this point.
Coming off two World Series championships, it’s understandable that baseball president Andrew Friedman and the team’s front office are content to bring back the same roster in 2026. Many signs point to them doing just that, as comments from the club’s staff acknowledged the club’s aging roster and the importance of bringing in new long-term players for the club’s sake. Clayton Kershaw he is retired. Freddie Freeman he will play this year at the age of 36. Mookie Betts heading into his age-33 season coming off the worst season of his Hall of Fame career. Even the younger members of the team such as Ohtani (31), Snell (33), Glasnow (32), and Will Smith (31) are all on the wrong side of 30 at this point.
With so many key veterans under contract for future years moving on, even the mighty Dodgers should think twice about adding another long-term, nine-figure contract to the books. At the beginning of the season, many thought that Los Angeles would once again be the dominant player in the winter star market, as. Kyle Tucker again Bo Bichette. As the offseason progressed, however, it quickly became clear that LA wasn’t as interested in jumping into the high-profile free agent market as they had been in the past.
The team has exciting prospects waiting to reach the majors in the coming years. Striker Alex Freeland MLB is already ready, and signing an infielder like Bichette could hold him back for a long time. An off-field star Zyhir Themba again Joshua De Paula are far from the majors but could be seen later this year and both are consensus top 50 prospects in the sport. Although the proposed team platform does not have much impact (with Teoscar Hernandez again Andy Pages set to take standard roles alongside a specific combination of Tommy Edman, Alex Callagain Hyeseong Kim), it’s easy to see why the team might be hesitant to sign Tucker to a big contract.
All of that consideration remains with the Dodgers, but that hasn’t stopped them from popping up more and more in the player market rumor mill as the season progresses. Tucker remains on the market and has a small number of buyers outside of LA, with the Blue Jays and Mets being other teams that have been frequently linked to him. Bichette’s market has started in recent days with the Phillies, Red Sox, and Blue Jays among the teams involved at one level or another, while the Mets and Yankees are one of the few remaining realistic landing spots. Cody Bellinger.
The Dodgers have appeared to remain on the edge of all three of those markets, and appear ready to pounce if one of them expresses a willingness to sign a short-term deal at a high average annual price. Whether that will happen remains to be seen but the chances of such a deal increase as Spring Training approaches. The Phillies, for example, will need to make a little adjustment to include Bichette in the roster and budget plans. Those figures include trades Alec Bohmwhich can be difficult to pull off late in the offseason when most teams have adjusted their plans. Meanwhile, a team like the Red Sox or Yankees could take themselves out of the market for relief when they’re upset by trading up for a bat like this one. Isaac Paredes or Brendan Donovan.
If a free agent finds himself without a long-term market and needs to pivot to a short-term deal, the Dodgers appear to be in an excellent position to make a play. Edman’s flexibility will allow the Dodgers to accommodate a short-term addition to their infield or outfield, with the top performer getting regular reps on the grass if Bichette is brought in or handling the keystone if Bellinger or Tucker join the organization. Furthermore, it’s hard to imagine a more attractive club to spend a year with than LA given the team’s strength and winning tradition. Helping the Dodgers secure a three-peat with a solid 2026 campaign would be exactly the kind of profile a free agent like Tucker or Bichette could hope for in a cushion contract.
What do MLBTR readers think? Will the Dodgers go in and snag one of the top bats left in free agency, or will they enter 2026 with the same lineup that won the World Series last year? Have your say in the poll below:
