Back-to-Back Champions, But Not the End: Where Should the Dodgers Focus Their Offseason Upgrades?

By fnaticjersey December 7th, 2025 1293 views

The Dodgers are back-to-back champions, but the quest for a historic three-peat is on. Discover the three critical areas—from adding an impact outfielder to rebuilding the bullpen and injecting youth—where LA must upgrade this offseason to cement a dynasty. Read our full analysis.

Even defending champions have offseason plans. Though the Dodgers have won the World Series two years in a row, they still face several questions to address before their 2026 campaign for a historic three-peat. Here are their three major offseason priorities:

1. Acquire a Impact Outfielder

The Dodgers are among the teams most in need of outfield upgrades for the 2026 season. The good news is they have at least Teoscar Hernandez, who performed brilliantly. Beyond him, however, the outfield picture gets complicated. Tommy Edman is a versatile utility man who can cover multiple outfield spots when healthy, but an ankle injury limited him for much of the 2025 postseason. Andy Pages possesses exciting talent and can impact games both offensively and defensively, yet his inconsistency led to some tough moments in the playoffs. Alex Call, acquired from the Nationals, saw limited action down the stretch. Michael Conforto struggled throughout the season, was left off the playoff roster, and is now a free agent. This means one of the Dodgers' primary goals for Opening Day 2026 should be adding a proven, impactful outfielder via free agency or trade.

Kyle Tucker headlines the free-agent market—a 28-year-old, four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger with an .878 OPS, averaging 33 homers per 162 games over the past five seasons. If Tucker seeks a longer deal than the Dodgers prefer, especially with their top prospects being outfielders who might be ready by 2027, other interesting options exist.

Could a reunion with Cody Bellinger be their best move? The former Dodgers MVP has revived his career since leaving LA and smashed 29 homers with an .813 OPS for the Yankees this season. Reports suggest the Dodgers have interest in both Tucker and Bellinger.

2. Rebuild the Bullpen

The bullpen was crucial to the Dodgers’ 2024 championship run, serving as a major strength, but it became a significant weakness in 2025. Los Angeles barely defended their title this year, heavily relying on a historically strong starting rotation to cover bullpen innings. Roki Sasaki emerged as the primary closer in the playoffs, but he will return to the rotation in 2026. Look at how the Dodgers handled the most critical innings of the season in Game 7 of the World Series, turning to Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and finally Yoshinobu Yamamoto in relief.

Therefore, the Dodgers’ bullpen must be revitalized in 2026. The team needs a full-time closer, especially after Tanner Scott’s up-and-down season. Given the overall instability of the 2025 relief corps, more new arms may be necessary. Fortunately, the free-agent market offers several quality relievers, headlined by Edwin Diaz. The Dodgers are widely considered one of the top potential destinations for the three-time All-Star closer. Other power arms like Robert Suarez and Pete Fairbanks are also available. With their stellar rotation still in place next season, the Dodgers need to add some of these quality options to build a bullpen as dominant as their 2024 unit.

3. Inject Some Youth into the Lineup

The Dodgers boast a star-studded roster, but they also had the oldest average hitter age in MLB in 2025 at 30.7 years (weighted by plate appearances). The Phillies (30.3) were the only other team above 30, while the league average was 27.9. Nearly every key Dodgers hitter is in their 30s: Freddie Freeman (36), Max Muncy (35), Mookie Betts (33), Teoscar Hernandez (33), Shohei Ohtani (31), Will Smith (30), and Tommy Edman (30). While these veterans remain highly productive, the Dodgers might still want to incorporate one or two younger bats. With so many young stars emerging across baseball, this is an area where the Dodgers are lacking—at least on the position player side.

Of course, such players aren’t easy to find, especially in free agency, where only Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Munetaka Murakami stand out as major hitting talents still in their 20s. So if the Dodgers want to get younger, aside from promoting their own top prospects, they may need to explore trades for emerging talent. Infusing young blood wouldn’t just aid the quest for a three-peat—it could help sustain the team’s dominance for years to come.

What do you think—should this be someone they consider?

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Back-to-Back Champions, But Not the End: Where Should the Dodgers Focus Their Offseason Upgrades?