How Dodgers could lay groundwork for three-peat at Winter Meetings

This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman tends to have the same overarching vision for his Dodgers every offseason: construct a roster that's deep enough that there will be no need to buy during the season.

Just about every year, Friedman and the Dodgers fall short of that lofty goal, but it's not for a lack of trying. The back-to-back World Series champions came into this offseason in a good place, but even with their core largely intact, there are roster weaknesses to address as they eye going for a third title in a row.

In recent years, the Dodgers' biggest offseason moves have not come at the Winter Meetings themselves, but the event is often where the groundwork is laid for the most notable transactions of the offseason. When the MLB world convenes under one roof for a few days, it tends to set things in motion.

Here's a primer on what to know for next week's Winter Meetings from Monday through Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.:

Club needs
After experiencing peak bullpen volatility this past season, the Dodgers could upgrade the relief corps for 2026. Their relievers threw more innings (657 2/3) than any other team, but they combined for a 4.27 ERA and 27 blown saves, tied with the Phillies for the seventh most in the Majors. L.A. spent big on Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates in the previous offseason, and neither panned out as hoped.

There's also a need in the outfield, where the Dodgers have the requisite pieces in theory -- although in practice, there are lingering questions. Teoscar Hernández regressed. Andy Pages started cold, got red-hot, then finished cold. Tommy Edman had ankle surgery this offseason after a nagging injury limited his availability to play center. Alex Call didn't receive a lot of playing time after being acquired from the Nationals. There were times when Hernández and Pages performed like impact bats, but the Dodgers could use more consistency out of this group.

Potential trade candidates
Catcher Dalton Rushing struggled to establish consistency in a backup role during his rookie year, but he could be an interesting trade chip. The Dodgers have believed in Rushing's ability to hit at every level, but he batted just .204 with a .582 OPS in the Majors in 2025. He's blocked by Will Smith for the long term, but he's also the only other catcher on the 40-man roster at present. If L.A. can't figure out a path to more playing time for Rushing, then perhaps it would make sense to use him as the means to make a big deal happen.

The Dodgers also have a surplus of pitchers on the 40-man roster, and with nearly all of them expected to be healthy for the beginning of Spring Training, some could be trade chips. Then again, L.A. needed every bit of its pitching depth to win the past two World Series, so the organization could prefer to hold onto its arms for as long as possible.

Prospects to know
The Dodgers added outfielder Ryan Ward and lefty reliever Ronan Kopp (both unranked) to the 40-man roster in November, and both could get a look at the big league level in 2026. Infielder Alex Freeland, the team's No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should also get some more opportunities after making his Major League debut in '25.

Perhaps toward the end of the season, outfielders Josue De Paula (No. 1) and Zyhir Hope (No. 2) will have taken the necessary steps forward to be called up by the Dodgers. But they are further behind, both finishing this past season with a stint with Double-A Tulsa.

Rule 5 Draft
Aside from Ward and Kopp, the Dodgers did not protect any additional prospects from being selected in Wednesday's Rule 5 Draft. Only two ranked prospects were left exposed: right-hander Peter Heubeck (No. 23) and shortstop Noah Miller (No. 25).

The Dodgers rarely select players in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, and this year should be no different, especially since there are only two spots open on the 40-man roster now that Miguel Rojas' return is official.

Burning question
The first year of Scott's four-year, $72 million deal did not go well (4.74 ERA, 10 blown saves), and the bullpen -- as a whole -- was consistently an area of weakness. The Dodgers are optimistic that Scott can bounce back in 2026 -- and that they have other candidates to close out games -- but they could also look to add a proven late-inning arm to help stabilize the relief corps.

It isn't really a question of whether the Dodgers can sign another closer, but whether they should. Ultimately, how badly do they need another closer?