What’s Next for the Dodgers After Three-Peat Dreams Were Dashed

The Dodgers fell short in their pursuit of their third consecutive World Series title, getting outplayed and swept by the Brewers in the NLCS. The bats never got going for Los Angeles throughout the postseason, and it was ultimately the team’s undoing as it slumped to an early exit.

Now that the Dodgers’ season is done and dusted, it’s time to look ahead and assess where baseball’s modern dynasty will go from here. With free agency looming and players set to go in and out of the organization during the winter, we’ll hone in on some key weaknesses the franchise must address, as well as some potential free agents they can target.

Dodgers’ free agents

Pitchers: Tarik Skubal, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Kris Bubic, Eric Lauer, Brusdar Graterol, Alex Vesia

Position players: Miguel Rojas (retiring), Kiké Hernández

There are numerous Dodgers pitchers set to hit the open market this offseason. Tarik Skubal, of course, is the headliner among all L.A. free agents, and if the team hopes to retain him in the winter, they’ll have to back up the Brinks truck to do so. It seems unlikely that relievers such as Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips will return to the club, while Alex Vesia may seek a bigger payday on the open market. Kris Bubic, an All-Star in 2025 with the Royals, may seek a new home as a means of returning to the starting rotation after being utilized as a swingman in Los Angeles. Lauer, on the other hand, seems unlikely to be retained, though the club may see some value as keeping him on board as some depth in the case of injuries to the rotation.

As for the two position player that are impending free agents, Miguel Rojas won’t be back with the Dodgers next year—at least not as a player—after the veteran announced his intention to retire from baseball following the Game 4 loss. The team will have to make a decision on whether to bring back Kiké Hernandez, too. At 35 years old and coming off a season in which he played in just 41 games during the regular season, it’s possible the Dodgers will look to move on, though he’d likely return on a team-friendly contract if the opportunity presents itself. Given his important postseason contributions throughout his career, it probably wouldn’t hurt for L.A. to bring him back in a utility role—though there are more consistent options out there.

Arbitration eligible players

Pitchers: Brock Stewart, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Jake Cousins

Position players: Alex Call, Andy Pages

Emmet Sheehan and Andy Pages will almost certainly be back in Dodger uniforms next season. Sheehan is a strong option to fill out the back of the rotation behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani, especially if Skubal lands elsewhere in free agency. The futures of Gavin Stone and Jake Cousins, both of whom missed all of 2025 and ‘26 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, are relatively uncertain, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see the club non-tender them. As for Brock Stewart, he could be an inexpensive option to bring back as a low-leverage reliever.

Key areas to address for 2027

This is still an extremely good Dodgers team, even if they didn’t show that during the postseason. One area they’ll likely hone in on is integrating young talent. Josue De Paula needs to be on the roster next year, as outside of his defense, he has little left to prove in the minor leagues. With Hernández and Rojas potentially out of the picture, the team may also be in the market for a depth infielder who is capable of playing in multiple positions.

But the main area they’ll be actively exploring during the offseason is the bullpen. With so many relievers potentially on their way out in free agency, the Dodgers will need to restock their relief corps. As it stands, the bullpen figures to consist of Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, Edgardo Hernandez, Jack Dreyer, Will Klein, Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack, with Stewart potentially also in the mix.

Potential free agent fits for Dodgers

Tarik Skubal

Skubal is an obvious fit for the Dodgers this offseason after the team acquired him in a midseason blockbuster from the Tigers. Bringing him back would come at a massive cost––he’s a Scott Boras client after all—but that hasn’t been an issue for Los Angeles over the past few years. Barring the implementation of a salary cap, the Dodgers will likely be in the market for Skubal to cement their dominant starting rotation. He’s the crown jewel of the free agent market and figures to have plenty of suitors, but returning to L.A. to finish the job they fell short of this year will certainly be something the 29-year-old considers.

Paul Blackburn

The former All-Star starter had an excellent season out of the bullpen for the Yankees, logging a 1.69 ERA with 69 strikeouts across 85 innings. He appeared in 62 games and is comfortable pitching for multiple innings. The Dodgers likely won’t be looking to splash out on any big contracts for relievers, but they could try to bring in Blackburn on a multi-year deal in the range of $6–8 million per season. Blackburn is entering his age-33 season, and although he’s four years removed from his lone All-Star appearance, he’s found new life as a stalwart relief option.

Steven Okert

Okert had a strong season with the Astros in 2026 and has been one of the league’s most reliable left-handed relievers since arriving in Houston last year. The 35-year-old logged a 2.13 ERA this past season and struck out 68 batters across 67 2/3 innings while issuing just 14 walks. He’s one of the league’s most efficient relief pitchers, having recorded a sub-0.900 WHIP in each of the past two seasons, and unlike many lefthanders, he’s managed to find success against both right-handed and left-handed hitters.

Mark Leiter Jr.

Leiter Jr. missed the second half of this season with a hip injury, but he was solid when healthy for the Athletics. He registered a 4.28 ERA (2.95 FIP) with 38 strikeouts across 33 2/3 innings, and only surrendered two home runs. Leiter boasts plenty of experience and could be a good middle-innings option.

Dodgers trade candidates

Teoscar Hernández

Hernández didn’t have a great season in 2026. The left fielder registered just 1.0 bWAR and had 16 home runs and a .425 slugging percentage, both of which were the lowest marks of his career. His defense also leaves plenty to be desired. Hernández has just one year remaining on his contract, as well as a club option for the ‘28 season, and is due to make $17.43 million in ‘27. The Dodgers might be looking to open up a spot in the outfield for Josue De Paula, and that would likely make Hernández the odd man out with Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker locked in for the foreseeable future. He’ll be in his age-34 season next year, so offloading the veteran slugger could be a way for the Dodgers to both trim their payroll and get a bit younger.

Emmet Sheehan

The Dodgers held onto Sheehan at the trade deadline, and there’s potentially a role for him to play next season, especially if Skubal signs elsewhere in free agency. Should Skubal return to L.A., however, Sheehan would become an enticing trade option for teams looking to shore up their starting rotation. He started 22 games and made one relief appearance in ‘26, logging a 4.57 ERA with 132 strikeouts in 112 1/3 innings. He’ll be 27 next season and comes with a contract that’s controllable through the 2030 campaign, so there should be plenty of teams interested in acquiring the promising starter.