Teoscar Hernandez, Juan Soto and where Los Angeles will go next

Entering the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers were the clear favorites to win the World Series.

After an offseason that included the signings of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernandez, as well as the trade for Tyler Glasnow, how could they not be? The roster already included Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, as well as future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw and long-underrated manager Dave Roberts.

On Wednesday, in a thrilling comeback against the New York Yankees in Game 5, the Dodgers won the World Series. Their offense, led by Freddie Freeman, overwhelmed Yankee pitching. The bullpen has stepped up. The rotation had a lot of key contributors, with starting pitcher Walker Buehler recording the final three outs – and possibly ending his Dodgers tenure in the most epic way possible.

Let’s take a look at the Dodgers’ offseason.

The Dodgers don’t have many holes in their lineup, but addressing pitchers – both in the rotation and in the bullpen – should be a top priority for President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.

One potential option could be Nathan Eovaldi if he declines his $20 million player option with the Texas Rangers. The Dodgers have long liked Eovaldi, who could be a veteran addition to a young rotation and should have a multi-year contract on the open market.

Elsewhere, the Dodgers have been mentioned in reports about Juan Soto in recent days. There are many reasons why this makes sense – the Dodgers love star players and Soto wants to play for a contender – but the star outfielder prefers to be close to his family in the Dominican Republic. It’s also unlikely that Soto and his agent Scott Boras will agree to set aside money in their megadeal. And with a roster filled with deferred-money contracts (Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts), Friedman and the front office are very hesitant to interfere with locker room dynamics.

Friedman is one of the most aggressive presidents of baseball operations in baseball, and I expect him to continue to do so this winter, perhaps using both trade and free agency to reach out to pitchers.

The Dodgers’ free agents include Teoscar Hernandez, Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler, Blake Treinen, Joe Kelly and Enrique Hernandez. Miguel Rojas has a $5 million club option, Clayton Kershaw has a $10 million player option and Austin Barnes has a $3.5 million club option.

The Dodgers’ priority will be Hernandez, and there is mutual interest in a reunion. There were no negotiations during the season, but negotiations will resume shortly after the World Series parade. Meanwhile, Buehler and Flaherty could be candidates to return to the rotation, while Hernandez has become a key cog in the Dodgers’ clubhouse and appears to be a viable option to re-sign with Los Angeles.