LOS ANGELES -- A new champion has been crowned. The offseason, which began for the Dodgers far earlier than they would have liked, is here for every big league team.
Even with nine players departing in free agency -- chief among them left-hander Tarik Skubal -- the Dodgers' roster is built to contend again in 2027. But in order to keep its competitive window open well beyond then, this may be the time for L.A. to infuse some young talent to complement its veteran core.
The Dodgers never shy away from bringing in free agents or swinging trades, but they should be able to upgrade some areas of their roster internally. Let's take a stab at making a way-too-early Opening Day roster projection, exclusively with players who are already in the organization.
The only Dodger whose health is known to be questionable for Opening Day is backup catcher Dalton Rushing, who underwent a hybrid internal brace procedure on his right elbow last Wednesday. He is expected to be ready as a hitter before he's full-go, with a timeline of nine months to return to catching.
Catchers (2): Will Smith, Hunter Feduccia
Beyond this duo, the Dodgers could consider picking up additional catching depth. With Rushing rehabbing, the third catcher on their depth chart would be Eliezer Alfonzo, who has just 13 big league games under his belt.
First baseman (1): Freddie Freeman
Freeman will be in the final season of his six-year, $162 million deal with L.A. He has spoken previously about wanting to play two additional years for the Dodgers before retiring.
Second baseman (1): Tommy Edman
This could be the primary position for the Dodgers to seek an upgrade. Their second basemen combined for a .676 OPS last season, the worst of any of their defensive positions.
Shortstop (1): Mookie Betts
After another inconsistent season at the plate, Betts finished the regular season strong with a 1.112 OPS in September. But he was reliable in the field, ranking in the 94th percentile with nine outs above average, per Statcast.
Third baseman (1): Max Muncy
Muncy played more than 140 games for the first time since 2021, and his 129 wRC+ ranked second on the Dodgers to Shohei Ohtani's 139. He is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, which includes a club option for 2028.
Left fielder (1): Josue De Paula
Center fielder (1): Andy Pages
Right fielder (1): Kyle Tucker
The outfield is a chance for the Dodgers to mix things up, although their three starters in 2026 -- Teoscar Hernández, Pages and Tucker -- are all under contract in '27. De Paula, L.A.'s top prospect and No. 4 overall per MLB Pipeline, certainly looked the part of a big league hitter in 11 games in September. But his defense remains a big question mark.
Bench/utility (3): Alex Freeland, Zach Ehrhard, Teoscar Hernández or Alex Call
Freeland could take over the infield utility role that Miguel Rojas vacated with his retirement. Ehrhard, the team's No. 15 prospect who spent all of the past season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, could be an option to add a right-handed bat to the bench. That leaves one spot for Hernández or Call -- although both have an unclear fit. If the Dodgers are comfortable with their outfield mix skewing young, then they could potentially move on from both of them.
Two-way player (1): Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani stands alone in this category. The main question is how the Dodgers will manage his two-way workload after his injuries took a toll in 2026.
Rotation (5): Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan or Justin Wrobleski or Gavin Stone
The first four names here are locks as long as they are healthy. The fifth starter could be a roster battle, and whoever of Sheehan, Wrobleski and Stone does not make the rotation could remain stretched out in Triple-A as depth. Ohtani is expected to pitch in 2027, although it's unclear if he will begin the season in the rotation.
Bullpen (8): Edwin Díaz, Tanner Scott, Edgardo Henriquez, Brock Stewart, Jack Dreyer, Will Klein, Ben Casparius, Jackson Ferris
Ferris, L.A.'s No. 17 prospect, must be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this offseason. That could give him a path to the big league club sooner rather than later, although he has limited professional relief experience. While the Dodgers still have leverage weapons in Díaz, Scott and Henriquez, the 'pen feels diminished with Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia departing in free agency.