State of the 2027 Dodgers: Truths After the Sweep

This is our annual State of the Dodgers series. This is our link to last year’s version. With the failure of the three-peat and a looming labor lockout, there are a lot of items to discuss. Well, that’s it. The Milwaukee Brewers finished off a four-game NLCS sweep Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, and the three-peat is dead. Before the hot stove — and the lockout — takes over everything, I want to take an honest look at the state of the Dodgers: who’s old, who’s hurt, who’s coming, who’s going, and what this roster looks like heading into 2027.

2027 Truths

Miguel Rojas Is Retiring

Miguel Rojas is retiring. He told everyone 2026 would be his last season, and he’s set to move into a player-development and front office role. What a career, and what a World Series moment last year. Thank you, Miggy.

This Team Is Getting Older

Let’s not dance around it. This team looked old in October because it is old. By playing time, the Dodgers had the oldest group of position players in baseball this year.

Freddie Freeman: 37
Miguel Rojas: 37
Max Muncy: 36
Kiké Hernández: 35
Mookie Betts: 34
Teoscar Hernández: 34
Shohei Ohtani: 32
Will Smith and Tommy Edman: 31

And here’s the part that worries me more than the birth certificates: the guys in their prime are breaking down like they’re the old ones. Ohtani played hurt for months. Smith lost three months to a neck problem. Edman is a good player when he’s on the field, which isn’t often enough. Even Kyle Tucker, who’s only 29, had a rough first year of his big deal.

The Lockout Is Coming

Every single decision this winter has a clock on it. The collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, and just about everyone in the game expects a lockout the moment it does. During a lockout, teams can’t talk to their players — at all. Think about what that means for an injured superstar who may need offseason surgery. He’d be rehabbing on his own, without the team’s input. There’s also the money. The owners are pushing for a salary cap, and if anything like that comes out of these talks, the Dodgers might be forced to trim payroll whether they want to or not. So whatever Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes are going to do, a lot of it probably needs to happen before December 1.

Will Smith Is A Concern Behind The Plate

This one bugs me. Will Smith went down with an inflamed disc in his neck in early June and didn’t make it back until September. Even before that, he wasn’t himself — he was hitting .249 with six homers and a .720 OPS when he got hurt. What worries me most is what I saw behind the plate. He’s been hurt a lot, and defensively he just hasn’t looked right. With the new challenge system, there were moments he looked almost confused out there on pitch calls. Maybe that’s rust. Maybe it’s the neck. But he’s under contract through 2033, so the Dodgers need him to be Will Smith again.

Josue De Paula Was A Bright Spot

One of the bright spots in September was the play of Josue De Paula. The 21-year-old skipped Triple-A entirely — the first position player to do that under Friedman — and debuted on September 11 after hitting .303/.401/.547 with 27 homers and 31 steals at Double-A Tulsa. MLB Pipeline had him as the No. 6 prospect in baseball. His defense needs a lot of improvement, but he has the talent to fix those issues. That has to be his No. 1 priority this offseason. One huge problem, though: since he’s on the 40-man roster, he can’t work out with Dodgers personnel once the lockout hits. He’d be on his own.

Kyle Tucker Has Right Field Locked Up

Kyle Tucker has right field locked up. His four-year, $240 million deal has opt-outs after 2027 and 2028, so he’s here for at least one more year and maybe two or three. Year one was a disappointment, but he’s the guy out there.

The Starting Pitching Is Still A Strength

Coming back for 2027: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell, plus whatever Ohtani’s role turns out to be. Snell was cruising in Game 3 — he retired 18 of 20 at one point — before giving up three homers. Glasnow and Snell both spent time hurt this year. And then there’s Tarik Skubal, who we’ll get to below. You can never have enough starting pitching with this group, which is why the young arms matter so much.

The Bullpen Got Out-Pitched

The Brewers beat us in the bullpen. In Game 2, four Milwaukee relievers retired the last 15 Dodgers in a row — a postseason record. Our side didn’t match it. Edwin Díaz is back at the back end. Behind him, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia are both free agents, and Vesia’s fastball was sitting around 91-92 late in the year. The Dodgers have a pile of young hard-throwers at Triple-A or the rotation extras. This is the winter to turn the page and give some of those arms real innings. Shout out to Tanner xScott on his rebound season.

Defense Has To Matter Again

Put it all together and you see the theme: this roster got slower and worse with the glove. Between an aging infield, a left fielder who isn’t a defender, and a catcher who didn’t look right, the Dodgers need to get more athletic. Getting younger and getting better defensively are the same project.

Our Free Agents

Tarik Skubal
Kiké Hernández
Blake Treinen
Alex Vesia
Evan Phillips
Miguel Rojas (retiring)

2027 Questions

Can The Dodgers Re-Sign Tarik Skubal?

Tarik Skubal is one of the top pitchers in baseball and the Dodgers could have a true insider’s chance at signing him. The Dodgers got him at the deadline for Zyhir Hope, River Ryan, and Brady Smith — a real price, but not one that touched the big-league roster. (If you want the full deadline rundown, check our 2026 trade deadline reactions.) He finished the year with a 2.72 ERA over 158 2/3 innings and took a tough 2-1 loss in Game 1 of the NLCS. I spoke about this two months ago, but we need to talk about it with the season in our rearview mirror. My guess is that the collective bargaining agreement will have to have some grandfathering clauses that will give the Dodgers a chance at getting Skubal before the lockout. After the lockout, probably a very small chance he comes back. From all indications, Skubal has enjoyed being a part of the Dodgers. Of course, his agent is Scott Boras, so he’ll be chasing the dollars first and foremost.

Should Shohei Ohtani Even Pitch?

I keep asking: what are the real injuries, and how bad were they? Here’s what we know. Ohtani dealt with left knee soreness starting in June — that’s why he didn’t pitch after July 3. A right biceps problem flared up during his pitching ramp-up in late August, and he hasn’t thrown since. His neck was bothering him too. He landed on the injured list in September, and before his homer in Game 4, he hadn’t gone deep since August 18. When he was on the mound, he was outstanding — 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts. At the plate he was hitting .277 with 30 homers by September. Then the body gave out, and he hit .192 this postseason. After Game 4, Ohtani said it’s “hard to tell” whether he’ll need surgery, and he still plans to pitch in 2027. I don’t think he should. I know he’s stubborn, and that stubbornness is part of what makes him great. But he has two elbow surgeries behind him, he’s 32, and this year the pitching cost us the hitter in October. The bat is the irreplaceable piece. Make him a full-time hitter, keep him healthy, and let him chase another MVP. If he absolutely insists on pitching, then limit it hard and protect the bat.

Does Dalton Rushing Even Play In 2027?

And then there’s Dalton Rushing, who I want to highlight. Rushing stepped in as the starter and handled it — he was hitting .253 with an .809 OPS before a slight UCL tear in his right elbow shut him down in August, and the elbow flared up again in September. When he’s healthy, the bat is real. However, if he can’t throw, then he can’t play catcher. He should get the Tommy John surgery as soon as possible. No matter what, we won’t see much of Dalton Rushing in 2027. Here’s another problem: Rushing doesn’t have a position. He’s blocked at catcher by Smith’s contract, at first base by Freeman, and at DH by Ohtani. He’s too talented to be a backup forever. Some people will say trade one of them. I’d rather find Rushing at-bats than ship him out — and Freeman’s spot opens up after 2027.

Where Does Josue De Paula Play?

The issue is position. JDP is strictly a corner outfielder, and the glove is the weakest part of his game. DH belongs to Ohtani. Left field belongs to Teoscar, at least for now. If I’m running things, I’m finding a taker for Teoscar’s last year and handing left field to De Paula. Yes, he’s a poor defender. So is Teoscar. At least JDP’s bat is going up, not down. You can follow where he and the rest of the kids stand on our Dodgers Prospect Movement Board. Left field is where it gets crowded. Teoscar Hernández has one guaranteed year left. He hit .267 with 16 homers and 64 RBI, he’s popular in the clubhouse, and he’s had big moments here. But there’s got to be a place for JDP.

Is It Time To Lock Up Andy Pages?

Andy Pages is the one I want to talk about. He became an All-Star in 2026, and before a pitch broke his left hand in August, he was hitting .272 with 21 homers and 80 RBI. He’s 25. He’s arbitration-eligible starting in 2027 and can’t be a free agent until after 2030. Back in March, The Athletic reported the Dodgers hadn’t even started extension talks. Lock. Him. Up. Buy out the arbitration years and a couple of free-agent years now, while you can. The Dodgers rarely do this — Will Smith’s extension is the notable exception — but Pages is exactly the type of homegrown player you build around while the core ages out. Credit to Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation for pushing this idea. And don’t forget the clutch hit he delivered to finish off the Braves in the NLDS.

Year-To-Year For Freddie Freeman And Max Muncy?

Freddie Freeman has one more year. He’s a free agent after 2027, and he’s 37. How do you not re-sign a guy who means what Freddie means to this franchise? That’s a question for next winter, but it’s coming. However, he is also blocking both Rushing and De Paula. In my opinion, I do not want to see any more extensions for players getting towards the end of their careers. They can go a year at a time. Max Muncy has one more guaranteed year too. He stayed healthy, hit 29 homers, and put up 4.1 WAR. He’s owed $10 million in 2027, with a $10 million team option for 2028. Just like Freeman, just go year to year with his contract from now on. One thing to note: Muncy is 32 home runs behind Eric Karros for the most homers in Los Angeles Dodgers history. He’s destined to be named a Dodgers Legend a few years after he retires.

Does Mookie Betts Move To Second Base?

Mookie Betts played shortstop all year at 34. I’ve been wondering if it’s time to move him to second base. Let him play a position that’s easier on the body and keep that bat in the lineup every day. That opens the door for the next question. Elly De La Cruz (or similar) — the Dodgers could make a play to trade for a younger shortstop and just move Mookie to second base. The Dodgers have young outfield talent galore, so the trade starts there.

How Much Runway Does Alex Freeland Get?

Alex Freeland — how much runway does he get? He made the Opening Day roster and started the year as the primary second baseman against right-handers. He played mostly shortstop in the minors, and his defense and arm have always gotten praise. If Mookie moves to second, I’d give Freeland a real runway at short in 2027. Not 50 at-bats. A real look.

Free Agents To Bring Back?

Kiké Hernández came back on a one-year, $4.5 million deal for 2026, so he’s a free agent again. Do they even consider bringing him back? I love October Kiké as much as anyone, but he’s 35. I think the honest answer is that it’s time — though I wouldn’t be shocked to see him back in the organization in some role.

Do The Dodgers Move Tyler Glasnow?

One question I do have: are the Dodgers going to try to move Glasnow? In any trade, they’d need to eat some of the remaining contract. The Dodgers are on the hook for $30M in 2027, and there are options in 2028 that could leave the Dodgers on the hook at almost $22M or $30M. This will be something to watch.

What To Do With The Young Arms?

These are guys who have already debuted, and some aren’t even rookies anymore. Here’s where I think they stand. Justin Wrobleski — The breakout. He made the All-Star team and was 11-5 with a 3.56 ERA through 20 starts before forearm inflammation put him on the IL in August. The home runs piled up after the break, and the underlying numbers suggest some regression, but he’s earned a rotation spot or a big swingman role. Roki Sasaki — Ugly spring, slow start, and then the velocity came back around May and he started looking like the guy the Dodgers signed. A blister cost him time late in the year. 2027 is a big year for him. The upside is still front-of-the-rotation. Emmet Sheehan — Uneven. He was sitting at a 5.29 ERA through 20 starts at the deadline but kept his spot because of all the rotation injuries. He’s still one of the better No. 5 options around. Gavin Stone — The forgotten man. He was the team’s innings leader in 2024 and missed this year after shoulder surgery. If he’s healthy, he’s real depth. Bobby Miller — This one hurts. He spent most of 2026 on the 60-day IL with a right shoulder problem, shifted to relief at Triple-A, and made only two big-league appearances. Remember, he went 11-4 with a 3.76 ERA as a rookie in 2023. He’s 27. I think the bullpen is his path now, or maybe a fresh start somewhere else. Landon Knack — Started the year hurt, had a 5.87 ERA in 7 2/3 big-league innings, but posted a 2.08 ERA at Oklahoma City. He’s 29. He’s useful depth, but the window to be more than that is closing.

Outlook For 2027

Before anyone starts screaming about the front office, let’s remember: three championships since 2020, and back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. This is still the best-run organization in baseball. But this sweep is a clear message for Friedman and Gomes — adjust, get younger, get more athletic, or the window closes on its own. The Dodgers are still loaded. They have the money, they have the prospect capital, and they’ll be on the short list of World Series contenders next year. But they can’t run back the same roster and expect a different October. If I’m making the calls before December 1:

Re-sign Tarik Skubal.
Make Shohei Ohtani a full-time hitter.
Lock up Andy Pages.
Year-to-year contracts for players over 35 — no contract extensions for those guys.
Move Teoscar (I kind of hate this) and give left field to Josue De Paula.
Move Mookie to second and trade for a younger shortstop.
Get younger in the bullpen.

This article was written with the aid of AI (Claude by Anthropic) from Tim’s voice notes, transcribed with Wispr Flow. All opinions are Tim’s.

God Bless and Go Dodgers!