It was Shohei Ohtani himself who promised that the Dodgers would go for the three-peat next season, after enduring a World Series that pushed them to the absolute limit and in which they managed to secure their second straight title thanks to some creative improvisation. It’s clear that every other team will be doing everything possible to prevent Los Angeles from continuing its dominance, so addressing needs is crucial.
In that context, the bullpen is one of the main weaknesses the Dodgers must fix, because that was precisely where they had to resort to makeshift solutions during the postseason-even though the dynamics change completely over a long regular season.
The Dodgers have a bullpen problem
The Dodgers‘ relief corps posted the 10th-worst ERA among MLB bullpens last year at 4.27. That’s exactly why they plan to aggressively add high-leverage arms this winter, and according to ESPN’s Alden González, they will indeed be “aggressive” in that pursuit.
“The Dodgers’ bullpen was a disaster last year, so much so that they rode all four of their postseason starting pitchers to a win in Game 7 of the World Series,” González wrote. “When asked about acquiring a set, established closer in particular, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said: ‘I don’t think it’s a need, but it could be a ‘nice to have’ if that’s how it plays out.’ The expectation is that they will ultimately come away with one, either via trade or through free agency.”
The Dodgers thought Tanner Scott would be the answer, but the left-hander underperformed badly and lost his usual role. He posted a 4.74 ERA across 61 appearances-nearly triple his 1.75 mark from the previous year-and converted only 23 of his 33 save opportunities.
Now the free-agent market looks very promising for the Dodgers, with pitchers such as Edwin Díaz and Robert Suárez available-two arms who could take the team to another level.
In Díaz’s case, he made his first All-Star appearance since returning from the injury that cost him the entire 2024 season, coming back in dominant fashion with a 1.63 ERA in 62 outings and 28 saves.
On the other hand, Suárez made the All-Star team for the second straight year in 2025 and recorded 35+ saves for the second consecutive season. He led the National League with 40 saves in 2025.
Both are excellent profiles for the Dodgers and could perfectly solve their biggest need.
Read the full article here
