The Dodgers’ season ended Thursday night with a 6-4 Game 4 loss to the Brewers in the National League Championship Series, and the quiet that followed carried more than the weight of a missed three-peat. Los Angeles has a sturdy championship foundation still in place, but the winter will bring a real roster turn, with nine players headed toward free agency and Miguel Rojas preparing to retire.
A winter of decisions in Los Angeles
Tarik Skubal headlines the group that could leave after the Dodgers’ postseason exit. Rojas, Kiké Hernández, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Eric Lauer, Kris Bubic and Brusdar Graterol are also set to reach the market.
Rojas has already decided that his playing career is over, though he will remain with the club in a player-development position. He said the organization’s response to this defeat will not be complacency.
The rest of the club’s core remains under control, leaving the Dodgers positioned to contend again. Still, this offseason may mark the handoff from one version of the roster to the next.
- Rojas will retire as a player and join the organization in player development.
- Skubal is the premier name in the Dodgers’ free-agent class.
- Phillips, Vesia and Treinen represent possible late-inning bullpen departures.
- Hernández’s veteran presence and October history make his free agency particularly meaningful in the clubhouse.
Teoscar Hernández called the group special not only for its accomplishments, but for the way the players supported one another throughout the year. That bond does not settle the roster questions ahead, but it explains why the coming changes will be felt beyond the field.
Skubal’s brief Dodger stay could become expensive
Los Angeles paid a steep prospect price to acquire Skubal for what amounted to as much as three months. The deal sent Major League-ready starter River Ryan, outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-hander Brady Smith away. Ryan and Hope were both Top 100 prospects.
Now Skubal reaches free agency for the first time, and the Dodgers will be one of several clubs capable of pursuing him. After winning an arbitration hearing against Detroit last winter, he earned a record $32 million salary. The expectation is that his next contract could eclipse the 12-year, $325 million deal Yoshinobu Yamamoto received, setting a new high-water mark for guaranteed money to a free-agent pitcher.
Skubal lost six weeks following left elbow surgery during his contract year, but he still delivered a 12-7 record and a 2.72 ERA across 26 starts split between the Tigers and Dodgers.
In the immediate aftermath of the NLCS loss, Skubal declined to address his destination. His focus, he said, was on the disappointment of that night. He did make clear how much he valued the experience in Los Angeles, praising the organization, his teammates and the fan base while saying it was an honor to wear the Dodgers uniform.
De Paula’s path is the next roster puzzle
The Dodgers have spent 14 straight seasons reaching the postseason while regularly introducing younger talent around an established veteran group. That process is already underway again with Josue De Paula, catcher Dalton Rushing and infielder Alex Freeland.
De Paula, ranked No. 4 overall among prospects by MLB Pipeline, moved from Double-A to the majors in September and made the postseason roster as a pinch-hit option. His bat made an early impression, but his immediate fit is complicated by defense and playing time.
At the major-league level, De Paula was viewed strictly as a designated hitter, a spot occupied by Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers need him to take another step in the outfield if he is to become an everyday player.
Andrew Friedman said last month that De Paula’s defensive improvement from 2025 to 2026 was genuine, while adding that the club wants another significant jump heading into 2027. Friedman believes the young outfielder has the athletic tools to make it happen.
- Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker are each signed through next season.
- Making De Paula a daily player could mean fewer opportunities for Hernández.
- Los Angeles could explore a trade involving Hernández and the final guaranteed year of his three-year, $66 million contract.
- A Triple-A assignment would give De Paula more defensive work without the pressure of the major-league schedule.
Veteran leadership remains part of the calculation
The Dodgers will not merely be deciding which arms and bats to retain. They also must weigh the value of voices that have helped carry the club through October.
Phillips and Vesia remain logical bullpen fits as leverage options if the Dodgers wish to bring them back. Treinen’s experience also leaves a potential hole in a relief corps that could look different by Opening Day.
Kiké Hernández presents a less straightforward baseball decision. Injuries limited his regular season, and his postseason production fell short of his familiar October standard. His only hit of the playoffs was a solo homer in the National League Division Series.
Even so, Hernández remains a central clubhouse figure and one of the defining postseason players of this Dodgers era. He said he would welcome another chance to chase a title in Los Angeles, while recognizing that both sides must find a fit in free agency. If he does leave, he said, his hope is to land with another contender.
For the Dodgers, the work starts quickly: decide how aggressively to pursue Skubal, determine whether De Paula is ready for a larger role, and choose which veterans belong in the next chapter. The season ended in Milwaukee, but the shape of the next roster will be decided over a much longer winter.
