By Nelson EspinalShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Los Angeles Dodgers will invest heavily in improving their roster amid the potential for a three-peat next season.
The Dodgers are the back-to-back champions following their 2025 World Series thriller victory. They were pushed to seven games by Toronto, which boasted an electric offense, though the Canada-based team fell short as the Dodgers made crucial plays.
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Los Angeles was not the powerhouse everyone expected for most of the season due to injuries and lackluster performances from key signings in the bullpen and the outfield.
They spent millions to field one of the more expensive rosters in baseball history, and the Dodgers just eked by. In 2026, the Dodgers will want to build a bigger talent cushion and add more depth to their pitching staff and lineup.
...The most significant needs for the Dodgers are outfield help and bullpen upgrades, though there are other areas they could explore to add more depth and options for manager Dave Roberts.
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Among the notable names on the make is Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette, a great contact hitter who can get his bat to the ball and has enough pop to hit a good deal of home runs.
Second base is not an area of concern for Los Angeles, but as David Schoenfield of ESPN points out in an article, there are several underlying areas where Bichette helps the team.
Schoenfield notes that "Dodgers second basemen hit .239 and ranked 24th in the majors in OPS" and "the offense hit just .233 in the postseason -- and .213 after the wild-card round. The Dodgers hit enough home runs, especially in key moments, to win the World Series, but it was the starting rotation that carried them to the title."
He also notes that many of the Dodgers' hitters are past 30, but Bichette is still only 28.
Most importantly, the cost would not be back-breaking: "And the money? With a projected five-year, $130 million contract, Bichette easily fits into the Dodgers' payroll and still leaves them money to sign a closer," Schoenfield wrote.
Signing Bichette would be quite a left turn for an organization that tends to rely on utility players like Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas, and Enrique Hernandez to fill in the infield.
Schoenfield's point about the age of the lineup is a fair one, especially since the effects of three straight seasons going deep into October could show themselves in 2026 if there is not an injection of young hitters.
They could potentially add a second baseman who is young and has upside, though he costs less than a premium player like Bichette.
For all the latest MLB news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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