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The Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the best regular-season teams of all time in 2022, racking up 111 wins and a ridiculous plus-334 run differential. The Dodgers were the heavy favorite to come out of the NL, but after beating the rival San Diego Padres in Game 1 of the NLDS, they promptly lost three straight games in shocking fashion to be ousted from the playoffs early.
One could argue this was just the occasionally fluke nature of an MLB playoff series. A historically great team can slump at the wrong time and find itself eliminated, especially when we're talking about a best-of-five series. The Dodgers could easily choose to run it back this offseason and then win the World Series next season.
However, there are some changes that should be explored. It doesn't look like manager Dave Rodgers will be one of them, so what to do with the roster? The Dodgers have the financial capabilities to strengthen their roster in the offseason, but they will need to strategize and execute at a higher level if they want a repeat of their World Series crown in 2020.
Where was the Dodgers' offense?
A franchise that has a plethora of strong bats incurred the difficulty of pouncing on opportunities with runners in scoring positions. Padres pitchers were put in high-leverage situations numerous times, but Los Angeles failed to capitalize on the chances with multiple individuals on base. There was even a stretch from Game 1-3 where the Dodgers were 0-for-20 with runners in scoring position.
That is historically abysmal for an organization that has aspirations of winning a World Series crown. Again, was this just a fluke? This lineup was loaded with MVP candidates who just couldn't get enough big hits at the right time. Do they really need to change anything here?
Well, the Dodgers won't rest on their laurels and will always look to upgrade. Trea Turner is a free agent, but there are already rumblings about letting him walk in order to sign Aaron Judge. Look for this front office to do whatever it can to make a dangerous lineup even better.
Acquire a proven closer
For over a decade, the Dodgers had an elite closer in Kenley Jansen, but he went to the Atlanta Braves last offseason. Los Angeles tried to replace Jansen with Craig Kimbrel, but Kimbrel turned into a disaster and was left off the NLDS roster.
While the Dodgers still had a plethora of strong bullpen arms, they didn't have that proven closer option. Jansen will be a free agent again, but perhaps New York Mets star closer Edwin Diaz will be a target.
Have a more stable starting rotation
Clayton Kershaw had another excellent season, but he struggled in his start against the Padres and is 34 years old as he gets set to hit free agency. Walker Buehler decided to fix his elbow and get Tommy John surgery in August, which may force him to miss the 2023 season. Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson were revelations this season, and Julio Urias is a stud, but the Dodgers should look to add another proven starting pitcher to this group with Trevor Bauer still suspended for next season.
The 2023 free agency class has some big starting pitcher names. Will the Dodgers try to chase Mets ace Jacob deGrom or Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander? Out of “younger” options, there are names like Carlos Rodon and Aaron Nola set to hit the market. There will be options here, so we'll see what Los Angeles decides to pursue after this playoff debacle.
