The 2026 World Series matchup is set, which means two more teams have officially started to prepare for next season.
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians on Monday to advance to their third World Series in franchise history. They'll play against the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. The Rays and Brewers will both be trying to capture their first World Series title, while the Dodgers and Guardians will join the rest of the league in heading back to the drawing board.
Los Angeles and Cleveland could make plenty of offseason moves. But here's one pivotal decision that could have a major impact on the Dodgers and Guardians this winter.
Guardians: Is Steven Kwan is a long-term part of the team?
Steven Kwan has been involved in trade rumors for some time. The 29-year-old is set to become a free agent after the 2027 season. That means the Guardians will soon need to decide whether they want to sign the outfielder to a new deal or trade him before he potentially leaves in free agency.
Kwan is a two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove Award winner. That type of production isn't easy to come by, especially for a team like Cleveland that isn't known for spending a ton of money in free agency. If the Guardians don't plan to extend or re-sign the lefty outfielder, it'd make sense for them to try to gauge his trade value this winter. At the same time, though, Cleveland came a couple of wins short of returning to the World Series with the 2018 fifth-round draft pick at the top of its lineup. Either way, the Guardians' decision could eventually define their offseason.
Dodgers: Will Josue De Paula be on the Opening Day roster?
Most Los Angeles fans will be closely monitoring the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes this winter. But beyond that, the Dodgers might need to get creative if they want to make room for the organization's top prospect.
Outfielder Josue De Paula immediately turned heads in his first taste of MLB action. However, the 21-year-old appears to be blocked from regular playing time early next year with Shohei Ohtani at designated hitter and Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages, and Kyle Tucker in the outfield. Pages and Tucker most likely aren't going anywhere, but the Dodgers could consider trading Hernandez if they want De Paula to start next season in the majors. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see what Los Angeles' outfield looks like in 2027.
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