Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Last time a lockout loomed over baseball, things moved fast before it was instated, but this time around there really hasn’t been much as everybody waits for Tarik Skubal. Since the Dodgers are heavily involved in that, it makes sense that he dominates this recap of rumors, but the fact that Shoki Oda is second billing should give you an idea of how slow things have been so far.
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Tarik Skubal
No surprises here, but Jon Heyman said the Dodgers are interested in retaining Skubal, and their main competition indeed appears to be the Mets yet again. Kiley McDaniel agreed with that, but also adds others in the mix include the Tigers lurking, the Yankees pondering, and the Angels, White Sox, and Padres as sleepers due to new ownership. Speculation on the Cubs being contenders for him made sense, but has already been downplayed on their beat by Sahadev Sharma.
Jon Morosi than gave the Padres as contenders more legs by saying they’ve expressed interest, and Heyman went on to say that he sees the Mets as the current favorite, while also naming the Giants, Phillies, Blue Jays, and those Padres again. Padres beat writer Dennis Lin pumps the break on that a bit, saying he’d be shocked if they outbid either the Dodgers or Mets.
As far as interpersonal recruiting, Blake Snell says he’s done his part for the team.
"I've done my pitch. I hear the Dodger fans hitting me up all the time to get lil' bro to stay here. We'll see what he does, but I think we have a good shot."@THEREAL_DV chats with Blake Snell in Altadena, where the @DodgersFdn broke ground on Dodgers Dreamfields 69 & 70,… pic.twitter.com/r4PhHRuLVV
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) November 6, 2026
Meanwhile in more formal terms, the Dodgers and Mets both have meetings with Skubal, and so will the Padres and Blue Jays. Heyman also said there are two more infamous “mystery teams” involved.
Perhaps throwing some water on the fire from the Dodgers side is Katie Woo’s report that they probably won’t be signing long-term deals, including with Skubal.
Their focus remains on top free agent Tarik Skubal. But the looming expiration of the collective bargaining agreement and the ensuing financial uncertainty will likely deter the Dodgers from agreeing to any lucrative long-term deals this offseason, according to multiple league sources granted anonymity in exchange for their candor.
But according to several team sources, the Dodgers’ interest in a return hinges on Skubal accepting a shorter offer than he’ll likely receive from other bidders.
It’s a prudent decision on their part, and it would be best if they could get a deal done before the lockout, but from Skubal’s perspective there’s little reason to not take the most overall money for what might be his final payday. I’m not super optimistic about the Dodgers chances either, if I’m being honest.
Shoki Oda
As mentioned previously, Oda is favored to land with the Dodgers and is indeed meeting with a bunch of teams as expected.
According to Japanese reports, he started by meeting with the Phillies, Mets, and Rangers, then the Blue Jays and Cardinals. The latest confirmed meetings have went to the Yankees and Tigers. He’s expected to meet with around a dozen teams overall, including obviously the Dodgers.
But other MLB teams might not be the biggest obstacle for the Dodgers, as the Yomiuri Giants loom over everything. On that front, his high school coach said he doesn’t think Hideki Matsui‘s appointment as manager will have an impact on the choice, and their nomination ceremony lasted just 10 minutes without Oda in attendance. Regardless, the Giants plan on waiting until he finishes meeting with all the MLB clubs before pitching him their development plan.
For the Dodgers, Brandon Gomes played it coy on Oda at the GM Meetings.
Oda, an 18-year-old pitcher, is meeting with Major League Baseball clubs even after the Yomiuri Giants selected him in the NPB Draft. Are the Dodgers one of those teams?
“Potentially,” Gomes said, smirking.
“He’s super talented, really projectable — fun to watch him throw,” Gomes said. “I know our international guys have watched him closely, and you know, I’m not sure how that all shakes out exactly. But we think really highly of him.”
That the Dodgers are being saved for last or so seems like a positive sign given the trend from other Japanese players who ended up with the Dodgers. That said, other than Yomiuri, the CBA and a potential push for an international draft might be what ends up doing this pursuit in.
Teoscar Hernandez
Katie also mentioned that the Dodgers might not be as enthusiastic about trading Teoscar as it seems due to uncertainty with Josue De Paula‘s defense.
But because a pending lockout will prohibit clubs from contacting players on their 40-man roster, there will be no way for the organization to assess De Paula’s development throughout the offseason. Per a team source, that has given the Dodgers pause about whether they should trade Hernández.
De Paula, who is represented by Boras Corp., plans to work with players from his agency throughout the winter. The Dodgers have no qualms about De Paula’s work ethic or his commitment to improving. Their concern lies in their inability to oversee it.
It feels like this is mostly posturing in terms of them saying they want to get a good deal rather than not wanting to trade him at all, as it’s not like they don’t have other options if they deal him. However, with Alex Call perhaps getting non-tendered or traded and JDP being a question, it’s not hard to believe their urgency to get something done before the lockout isn’t high at least. Right-handed hitting outfielders with thump are weirdly at a premium right now due to the free agent class being cheeks, so this is not a bad situation for the Dodgers to be in.
Second Base & The Bench
There’s been some debate about how the Dodgers view Tommy Edman and the second base position, and Katie clarifies that they want him to be more of a superutility guy that gets starter playing time than anchoring him at second. That seems to open the door for Alex Freeland, but also means they’d like insurance there in case he repeats his 2026.
While the Dodgers are comfortable running it back with most of last year’s roster, they would like to add a right-handed middle infielder.
Los Angeles is looking for a stopgap option who can play second base and shortstop. This would free up Tommy Edman to serve in more of a utility role, allow Mookie Betts to get a blow when needed and allow for more depth alongside Alex Freeland. The organization has no plans to move Betts from shortstop and is not interested in a blockbuster trade for a younger player at the position, despite much speculation. Instead, they remain focused on adding to their depth and keeping their core intact.
Other than killing off the dreams of many who want them to get another superstar, it sure sounds most likely they end up with a utility/bench option to give them depth. Like the Christian Cairo claim but an actual MLB player. People have gotten mad at Dustin for focusing on players like that, but … uh, the Dodgers seem to be looking at players in exactly that mode.
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Not exactly the hottest Hot Stove season, but it’s where things stand at the moment.
