Dynasty: The 2025-2026 Offseason Thread

Matthew said:
Thanks, man, and of course, thanks to everyone for all the very kind words. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I admit, I’m probably the worst when it comes to this stuff, as I'm typically inclined to want to avoid boring everyone by talking about myself. But the short of it: if anyone hasn’t seen too much of me lately, it’s because I wound up getting hospitalized sometime around the NLCS. Woke up in the middle of the night feeling short of breath, along with other symptoms that made me think I had a stomach flu, which I was intent to sleep off. However, when my alarm went off some hours later, my Apple Watch was firing off multiple high heart rate notifications and other health alerts. So, that convinced me to go to the hospital, and, short of it, what I thought was an abdominal infection somehow turned into severe sepsis. Thankfully they treated it literally just in time, and my body responded well, so I escaped ICU and dodged a serious bullet, to say the least.

Unfortunately, it’s left some side effects, so I’ve got a recovery ahead of me. However, the fact there is even a recovery to talk about is a blessing, as it’s a reminder of how precious and fleeting life can be. It's been a hell of a year, but I’m very lucky to be here and, thankfully, got to stick around to see another championship, even if the Dodgers did their best to send all of us to the hospital with that World Series.
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So glad that you were able to catch something that serious early enough so it didn't get even worse. I wish you a speedy recovery.
 
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Matthew,

Sorry to hear about your sepsis infection. Serious stuff. I'm glad you recovered and are on the mend.

Like all the others on this board, I am greatly appreciative of all your efforts in maintaining this board. It's so important to me that it's the first website I open in the morning.
 
BCmaiden said:
Norwegian Wood has been claimed off waivers by the Reds. Didn't know AF had put him on waivers, so I guess that ends the Rushing trade talk.
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I’m sorry to see him go. Sure, he’s not the best ballplayer, but he came through for the Dodgers when called upon. He’s the only guy on the team who could bunt besides Rojas, and he handled the pitching staff flawlessly. I hope he has a successful career in Cincinnati.
 
Matthew said:
Well, much like last year, I start this thread much later than I intended to because I got sick. But thankfully, also like last year, the Dodgers won the World Series, so perhaps it's a new tradition. I'm not sure.

In any event, as we begin the offseason, I think I still remain in shock that this team managed to win it again. The 2025 regular season was by and large not all that fun to watch. It felt like a season of underachieving, a team seemingly lacking any hunger. As late as September, this team didn't look like they were worthy of the playoffs much less another World Series appearance. It was a frustrating year, to say the least.

But, somehow, this team literally flipped the switch and gave us one of the most thrilling (and heart attack inducing) postseasons ever. I'm still rather speechless about the World Series. I'm still not sure how they won, but they did. This team was a lot of things this year, good and bad, but one thing you can never take away from this 2025 team: they were resilient. And it was that resiliency that paid off in the most critical moments and ultimately gave them another World Series.

I had to think about what I wanted to call this offseason thread. There was a lot to work with, including some of the great ones that were suggested. I could have gone with "We Ruined Baseball" (and I nearly did go with that one), or "What Are We Going to Complain About Now?!" But sometimes simple is best and, in this case, I wanted us to at least have one opportunity to enjoy the winter looking repeatedly at the word that has never been applied to this franchise in all its history: dynasty.

And as I like to do each year, I want to thank each and every one of you for your participation here. You all contribute greatly to this site and, while I know we are by far not the most popular Dodgers site, I truly believe we remain the best. Yes, I get it, we can be a grouchy bunch here at times, but two points on that. One, we're all Dodger fans, so I think there's a built in PTSD that comes with that. But, two, that's also one of the consequences of having a forum that allows people to speak freely about the team. Remember, this site was founded precisely to escape a forum that never allowed you to criticize the team or speak honestly about it. We may not always see eye to eye on the little things, but that's precisely the point. The goal is to exchange, and, if necessary, defend our ideas. That's how you learn something. And when push comes to shove, no matter what differences we may have, everyone here all shares in the same goal of ultimately wanting this team to win. Thus, in a world now where nearly all Dodger communities are basically one big Auld Board, never more do I appreciate our ability to have this place than now. And, again, that's because of all of you and what you all bring. I just supply the Kate Upton pictures.

We've come such a long ways from the days from how this organization was being run 15-25 years ago to where we're at now, the most successful period in franchise history. These things don't last forever, so let's all enjoy it, celebrate another fantastic World Series victory, and the official cementing of this franchise's first dynasty.

So, with that, let us officially begin the offseason thread.
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Dilly, dilly!

Sent from my SM-S928U using Tapatalk
 
djcopelan said:
I’m sorry to see him go. Sure, he’s not the best ballplayer, but he came through for the Dodgers when called upon. He’s the only guy on the team who could bunt besides Rojas, and he handled the pitching staff flawlessly. I hope he has a successful career in Cincinnati.
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I agree. He overtook the backup role for a reason. SSS but Rushing showed very little last year.
 
Matthew said:
Thanks, man, and of course, thanks to everyone for all the very kind words. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I admit, I’m probably the worst when it comes to this stuff, as I'm typically inclined to want to avoid boring everyone by talking about myself. But the short of it: if anyone hasn’t seen too much of me lately, it’s because I wound up getting hospitalized sometime around the NLCS. Woke up in the middle of the night feeling short of breath, along with other symptoms that made me think I had a stomach flu, which I was intent to sleep off. However, when my alarm went off some hours later, my Apple Watch was firing off multiple high heart rate notifications and other health alerts. So, that convinced me to go to the hospital, and, short of it, what I thought was an abdominal infection somehow turned into severe sepsis. Thankfully they treated it literally just in time, and my body responded well, so I escaped ICU and dodged a serious bullet, to say the least.

Unfortunately, it’s left some side effects, so I’ve got a recovery ahead of me. However, the fact there is even a recovery to talk about is a blessing, as it’s a reminder of how precious and fleeting life can be. It's been a hell of a year, but I’m very lucky to be here and, thankfully, got to stick around to see another championship, even if the Dodgers did their best to send all of us to the hospital with that World Series.
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Well that's below average. Hopefully the side effects go away soon.
 
BCmaiden said:
I agree. He overtook the backup role for a reason. SSS but Rushing showed very little last year.
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Dalton Rushing will be the Dodgers’ primary backup catcher in 2025, Gomes said Tuesday, which was only confirmed Wednesday when Ben Rortvedt was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

That it was even a question speaks to just how Rushing’s first taste of the big leagues went. Rushing was called up in May to supplant Austin Barnes and take the backup reins, only for Rortvedt to be the one holding that role by the end of the World Series. Rushing took just one postseason plate appearance, and the top prospect had just a .582 OPS in 53 games of regular-season action.

The Dodgers are still trying to sort out how to get him more consistent playing time behind Will Smith.

“I think a lot of it is Rush getting his swing back in a good place,” Gomes said. “He was working on a bunch of stuff, his mindset, how to go about his business and work. We’ll look to see, the thing with the backup catcher role, it’s tough, because you have Will who is such an elite player. But things present themself as we see, guys get hurt and there’s different opportunities to try to look at ways to get Rush at-bats.”

That includes in the outfield, an idea the Dodgers tried in 2024 but largely shuttered last summer even as he continued to take fly balls in batting practice. Gomes also left the door open for Freddie Freeman to get more regular days off at first base, which would open up some more at-bats.
 
They are also getting healthier. Speaking at The Cosmopolitan hotel during this week’s GM meetings, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said he’s expecting “whatever a normal year is going off surgery” for both Gavin Stone (shoulder surgery) and River Ryan (Tommy John surgery) in 2026, reintroducing two of the team’s brightest internal young stars into the pitching picture.

Stone will be the answer for the trivia question of who led the 2024 Dodgers in games started – 25, with a 3.53 ERA. Ryan burst onto the scene, making four electric big league starts before blowing out.

Sasaki will “absolutely” be viewed as a starting pitcher to begin next season, Gomes said. Wrobleski and Ben Casparius likely best fit in relief roles, but are pieces of the starting pitching mix as well, as is Landon Knack. Pitching prospects Jackson Ferris, Adam Serwinowski and even Patrick Copen are all at Double A and could enter the depth picture with a strong season, as well.

There are ways to be flexible, Gomes said.

“Playing this deep, guys did things that most people don’t do in the World Series, so it’s just making sure we’re being prudent on the front end and saying, ‘If we need extra rest here, we can do it,’” Gomes said. “If not, we have ways to navigate it.”

That will include Ohtani in what will be his first full pitching season since his second elbow ligament reconstruction. Gomes said things will look “more like a normal schedule” with Ohtani’s pitching in 2026, though that surely can be fudged if necessary while still getting value from his bat.

“Everything we’ll do is with a big-picture mindset,” Gomes said. “So those are conversations we’ll have as we get closer.”
 
beefchopper said:
Dalton Rushing will be the Dodgers’ primary backup catcher in 2025, Gomes said Tuesday, which was only confirmed Wednesday when Ben Rortvedt was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

That it was even a question speaks to just how Rushing’s first taste of the big leagues went. Rushing was called up in May to supplant Austin Barnes and take the backup reins, only for Rortvedt to be the one holding that role by the end of the World Series. Rushing took just one postseason plate appearance, and the top prospect had just a .582 OPS in 53 games of regular-season action.

The Dodgers are still trying to sort out how to get him more consistent playing time behind Will Smith.

“I think a lot of it is Rush getting his swing back in a good place,” Gomes said. “He was working on a bunch of stuff, his mindset, how to go about his business and work. We’ll look to see, the thing with the backup catcher role, it’s tough, because you have Will who is such an elite player. But things present themself as we see, guys get hurt and there’s different opportunities to try to look at ways to get Rush at-bats.”

That includes in the outfield, an idea the Dodgers tried in 2024 but largely shuttered last summer even as he continued to take fly balls in batting practice. Gomes also left the door open for Freddie Freeman to get more regular days off at first base, which would open up some more at-bats.
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It doesn't even have to be that much.

CA
Smith - 111
Rushing - 51

1B
Freeman - 150
Rushing - 12

LF
T. Hernandez - 140
Rushing - 12
Call - 10

That's 75 starts or roughly half a season's worth of AB's which would both keep Smith fresh and healthy, but also give Rushing enough playing time to get his timing / bat to ball skills back.

If you look at his exit velocity, when he made contact, he hit the ball hard.

Rushing - .305 BABIP/ 90.6mph

Comparatively in their careers, these Dodger All-Star's are at ...

Smith - .285 / 90.0
Freeman - .341 / 91.6
Betts - .299 / 90.7
Ohtani - .325 / 93.8
Muncy - .252 / 90.3
T. Hernandez - .325 / 91.5

MLB Average - .296 / 88.4 in Freeman's 16 years
 
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beefchopper said:
They are also getting healthier. Speaking at The Cosmopolitan hotel during this week’s GM meetings, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said he’s expecting “whatever a normal year is going off surgery” for both Gavin Stone (shoulder surgery) and River Ryan (Tommy John surgery) in 2026, reintroducing two of the team’s brightest internal young stars into the pitching picture.

Stone will be the answer for the trivia question of who led the 2024 Dodgers in games started – 25, with a 3.53 ERA. Ryan burst onto the scene, making four electric big league starts before blowing out.

Sasaki will “absolutely” be viewed as a starting pitcher to begin next season, Gomes said. Wrobleski and Ben Casparius likely best fit in relief roles, but are pieces of the starting pitching mix as well, as is Landon Knack. Pitching prospects Jackson Ferris, Adam Serwinowski and even Patrick Copen are all at Double A and could enter the depth picture with a strong season, as well.

There are ways to be flexible, Gomes said.

“Playing this deep, guys did things that most people don’t do in the World Series, so it’s just making sure we’re being prudent on the front end and saying, ‘If we need extra rest here, we can do it,’” Gomes said. “If not, we have ways to navigate it.”

That will include Ohtani in what will be his first full pitching season since his second elbow ligament reconstruction. Gomes said things will look “more like a normal schedule” with Ohtani’s pitching in 2026, though that surely can be fudged if necessary while still getting value from his bat.

“Everything we’ll do is with a big-picture mindset,” Gomes said. “So those are conversations we’ll have as we get closer.”
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That article doesn't even mention former top prospects Bobby Miller or Nick Frasso, who are also still on hand and in the mix.
 
Matthew said:
Thanks, man, and of course, thanks to everyone for all the very kind words. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, I admit, I’m probably the worst when it comes to this stuff, as I'm typically inclined to want to avoid boring everyone by talking about myself. But the short of it: if anyone hasn’t seen too much of me lately, it’s because I wound up getting hospitalized sometime around the NLCS. Woke up in the middle of the night feeling short of breath, along with other symptoms that made me think I had a stomach flu, which I was intent to sleep off. However, when my alarm went off some hours later, my Apple Watch was firing off multiple high heart rate notifications and other health alerts. So, that convinced me to go to the hospital, and, short of it, what I thought was an abdominal infection somehow turned into severe sepsis. Thankfully they treated it literally just in time, and my body responded well, so I escaped ICU and dodged a serious bullet, to say the least.

Unfortunately, it’s left some side effects, so I’ve got a recovery ahead of me. However, the fact there is even a recovery to talk about is a blessing, as it’s a reminder of how precious and fleeting life can be. It's been a hell of a year, but I’m very lucky to be here and, thankfully, got to stick around to see another championship, even if the Dodgers did their best to send all of us to the hospital with that World Series.
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That’s some scary shit. As a guy who’s had an aneurysm, heart attack and bleeding ulcer I am hyper aware when I feel off. Herself is also one to get after me if I sneeze or cough and she’s pouring Robitussin or Day-Quil down my gullet. Maybe you have nine lives like me. I think I’ve used three or four. Gotta be careful, Matthew, because we are a selfish group and need you around to be that angel on our right shoulder keeping us from putting a hit out on The Moron.
 
djcopelan said:
I’m sorry to see him go. Sure, he’s not the best ballplayer, but he came through for the Dodgers when called upon. He’s the only guy on the team who could bunt besides Rojas, and he handled the pitching staff flawlessly. I hope he has a successful career in Cincinnati.
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I will miss Inkblot but it also ends all the Rushing trade rumors. It sounds like the Blue might be planning on cutting back on the wear and tear on Will. He’s getting old for a catcher. He’s going to be 31 on opening day and the squatting and foul balls off his body take a toll. I would bet it will be a 4/3 split next year. A huge thank you to Inkblot and hope he continues being a good backup catcher in Cincinnati.

Now that Passan is shooting down all Kyle Tucker rumors, I hear the Dodgers are highly interested in Bellinger. Obviously, it will take less years and money to sign him, he’s matured and we can plug him in all outfield positions and first base. With Freddie getting dinged more often, it’d be good to have a backup at first who isn’t five foot nothing. Just have to wonder if there are any bad feelings after the acrimonious divorce. There’s still the Kwan rumors which won’t die but it sounds like the cost will be heavy and Rushing isn’t in play. I worry about the Guards asking for Sheehan plus and Andy painting himself into a corner.
 
grabarkewitz said:
I will miss Inkblot but it also ends all the Rushing trade rumors. It sounds like the Blue might be planning on cutting back on the wear and tear on Will. He’s getting old for a catcher. He’s going to be 31 on opening day and the squatting and foul balls off his body take a toll. I would bet it will be a 4/3 split next year. A huge thank you to Inkblot and hope he continues being a good backup catcher in Cincinnati.

Now that Passan is shooting down all Kyle Tucker rumors, I hear the Dodgers are highly interested in Bellinger. Obviously, it will take less years and money to sign him, he’s matured and we can plug him in all outfield positions and first base. With Freddie getting dinged more often, it’d be good to have a backup at first who isn’t five foot nothing. Just have to wonder if there are any bad feelings after the acrimonious divorce. There’s still the Kwan rumors which won’t die but it sounds like the cost will be heavy and Rushing isn’t in play. I worry about the Guards asking for Sheehan plus and Andy painting himself into a corner.
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For true comic relief, find a Facebook post about Inkblot and the comments read like they've jettisoned Campanella or Johnny Bench.
 
Heard an unconfirmed rumor that the Dodgers signed Bellinger. No details. Anybody else hear this>
 
beefchopper said:
Dalton Rushing will be the Dodgers’ primary backup catcher in 2025, Gomes said Tuesday, which was only confirmed Wednesday when Ben Rortvedt was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

That it was even a question speaks to just how Rushing’s first taste of the big leagues went. Rushing was called up in May to supplant Austin Barnes and take the backup reins, only for Rortvedt to be the one holding that role by the end of the World Series. Rushing took just one postseason plate appearance, and the top prospect had just a .582 OPS in 53 games of regular-season action.

The Dodgers are still trying to sort out how to get him more consistent playing time behind Will Smith.

“I think a lot of it is Rush getting his swing back in a good place,” Gomes said. “He was working on a bunch of stuff, his mindset, how to go about his business and work. We’ll look to see, the thing with the backup catcher role, it’s tough, because you have Will who is such an elite player. But things present themself as we see, guys get hurt and there’s different opportunities to try to look at ways to get Rush at-bats.”

That includes in the outfield, an idea the Dodgers tried in 2024 but largely shuttered last summer even as he continued to take fly balls in batting practice. Gomes also left the door open for Freddie Freeman to get more regular days off at first base, which would open up some more at-bats.
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I feel like they're going to wreck this kid's confidence. There's really not much of a road for him to get any sort of consistency when he barely gets any AB's and then it's back to the bench. Maybe they can get him more AB’s but just moving him all around isn’t the answer in my opinion. Part of getting locked in is knowing your routine. Rushing isn’t Kike. He’s a kid who hasn’t found his groove yet and the Dodgers aren’t helping him in that regard with all this word salad of what they plan to do with him. Vets can work within that but not every guy is a Swiss Army Knife. This kid’s going to have to split time learning 1B and OF all while trying to be a legit C as well? Carrying 3 gloves everywhere he goes. That’s just on the Defense side. Having all that shit going on in his head isn’t going to help him be locked in as a hitter because outside of Catching, none of it is natural for him. Even a superior athlete like Mookie has seen how moving to SS can affect his hitting and he’s a unicorn.

I hate the way this has gone but I understand considering Will's such an asset and nowhere close to being at the age to move off Catching.

Rortvedt was really the perfect backup Catcher because he knew the role, the pitchers trusted him and there was no dropoff.

The Dodgers have made a mistake here losing that guy to CIN in my opinion but we'll see how it plays out.
 
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beefchopper said:
They are also getting healthier. Speaking at The Cosmopolitan hotel during this week’s GM meetings, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said he’s expecting “whatever a normal year is going off surgery” for both Gavin Stone (shoulder surgery) and River Ryan (Tommy John surgery) in 2026, reintroducing two of the team’s brightest internal young stars into the pitching picture.

Stone will be the answer for the trivia question of who led the 2024 Dodgers in games started – 25, with a 3.53 ERA. Ryan burst onto the scene, making four electric big league starts before blowing out.

Sasaki will “absolutely” be viewed as a starting pitcher to begin next season, Gomes said. Wrobleski and Ben Casparius likely best fit in relief roles, but are pieces of the starting pitching mix as well, as is Landon Knack. Pitching prospects Jackson Ferris, Adam Serwinowski and even Patrick Copen are all at Double A and could enter the depth picture with a strong season, as well.

There are ways to be flexible, Gomes said.

“Playing this deep, guys did things that most people don’t do in the World Series, so it’s just making sure we’re being prudent on the front end and saying, ‘If we need extra rest here, we can do it,’” Gomes said. “If not, we have ways to navigate it.”

That will include Ohtani in what will be his first full pitching season since his second elbow ligament reconstruction. Gomes said things will look “more like a normal schedule” with Ohtani’s pitching in 2026, though that surely can be fudged if necessary while still getting value from his bat.

“Everything we’ll do is with a big-picture mindset,” Gomes said. “So those are conversations we’ll have as we get closer.”
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I feel like Gomes is nothing more than an idiot who is given a robot script to talk and a lot of it is just circular. We may do this, we may do that. We could his this guy here but also here.

dodgersway.com

Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes has baffling response to LA's offseason plans

The Los Angeles Dodgers can't treat their needs lightly heading into the offseason, but they might be doing just that.
dodgersway.com dodgersway.com
 
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grabarkewitz said:
I will miss Inkblot but it also ends all the Rushing trade rumors. It sounds like the Blue might be planning on cutting back on the wear and tear on Will. He’s getting old for a catcher. He’s going to be 31 on opening day and the squatting and foul balls off his body take a toll. I would bet it will be a 4/3 split next year. A huge thank you to Inkblot and hope he continues being a good backup catcher in Cincinnati.

Now that Passan is shooting down all Kyle Tucker rumors, I hear the Dodgers are highly interested in Bellinger. Obviously, it will take less years and money to sign him, he’s matured and we can plug him in all outfield positions and first base. With Freddie getting dinged more often, it’d be good to have a backup at first who isn’t five foot nothing. Just have to wonder if there are any bad feelings after the acrimonious divorce. There’s still the Kwan rumors which won’t die but it sounds like the cost will be heavy and Rushing isn’t in play. I worry about the Guards asking for Sheehan plus and Andy painting himself into a corner.
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Bellinger seems very remote as a Dodger option. He’ll be the consolation prize and get a ton of money from the team that loses on Tucker.
 
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