With Edwin Diaz in the fold, the Los Angeles Dodgers have solved one of their greatest needs this offseason. While this is a club without many holes, there’s still some work to be done.
With that, there have been persistent rumors surrounding certain targets, both on the free agent market and on the trade block, and you can be sure that Los Angeles will strike again.
That said, the Dodgers aren’t always the most predictable club, and there are some seemingly out-of-nowhere blockbusters that they could pull off as well.
3 obvious moves the Dodgers are likely to make before the winter is over3. Trade for Steven Kwan
The Dodgers were inches away from acquiring Steven Kwan last July, making it no surprise that the club is once again heavily connected to him. Left field might be the biggest hole remaining on the roster, and Kwan’s combination of otherworldly defense plus stellar contact skills would give Los Angeles another dimension on the roster.
The Cleveland Guardians are a tough customer, and it’s going to take a lot to pry Kwan away, but with both teams negotiating on and off for the better part of the last six months, this feels not like an if situation but a when situation.
2. Re-sign Michael Kopech
While Diaz solves the need in the ninth, the bridge to him is still a bit shaky. The Dodgers hope some of that will work out without much more heavy lifting, with key arms like Tanner Scott having bounceback years, while injured relievers like Brusdar Graterol return to the fold.
Even so, more is needed. The high-leverage innings outside of what Diaz can give them will be given almost exclusively to lefties, with Scott and Alex Vesia currently projected as the primary setup men. Los Angeles will need a right-handed option that’s not named Blake Treinen, and that’s where a reunion with Kopech comes in. Injuries are always an issue with him, but who can forget how clutch he was down the stretch in 2024? This wouldn’t be a big move, but the relief market is getting to be slim pickings at this point, and Kopech’s familiarity with the Dodgers should make this a no-brainer.
1. If a trade for Steven Kwan doesn’t go down, sign Cody Bellinger
Many people have taken Andrew Friedman’s comment that he might have to be “a little patient” in his pursuit of the next target, as well as looking to “add a player who is really good on both sides of the ball,” to scream “Cody Bellinger”. If a deal for Kwan doesn’t come to fruition, Bellinger is certainly the next-best two-way option.
Aside from a Kwan deal preempting a Bellinger signing, the only true obstacle is whether or not bad blood exists on Bellinger’s side following the Dodgers non-tendering him back in 2022. Otherwise, this is a slam dunk.
3 big splashes the Dodgers could make out of nowhere3. Trade for Byron Buxton
If the Dodgers aren’t able to add Kwan or Bellinger to their outfield, how about swinging a deal for Byron Buxton? Buxton had stood by the Minnesota Twins organization during their summer sell-off, but has reportedly been willing to waive his no-trade clause this winter if Minnesota takes further steps towards a rebuild.
Since then, the Twins have poured cold water on the idea of rebuilding; however, much is still unsettled this offseason, and major moves by their division rivals could once again force them to re-evaluate their standing.
Buxton comes with a lengthy injury history, but when he’s on the field, he can dominate. In 2025, he crushed 35 jacks while slashing .264/.327/.551 and posting 5.0 fWAR in just 126 games. He could push Andy Pages to left field and play near-Gold Glove-caliber defense in center if such a deal were to go down.
2. Trade for Freddy Peralta
The starting pitcher on everyone’s lips is Tarik Skubal, but the Detroit Tigers’ recent moves, including signing former Dodger Kenley Jansen, indicate that they’re all-in on competing in the short-term in an attempt to get Skubal to stick around.
That leaves Freddy Peralta as the next-best starter on the block. It might seem curious for the Milwaukee Brewers to trade Peralta to the team that ousted them from the NLCS in an unceremonious four-game sweep, but Milwaukee moves to the beat of its own drum.
A controllable arm like Emmet Sheehan, plus a couple of top prospects, could be a solid foundation to give the Brewers what they want for their walk-year ace, and upgrading from Sheehan to Peralta would give the Dodgers a durable ace to hedge against the brittleness of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.
1. Trade for Ketel Marte
Intradivision trades are rare, and when it comes to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Dodgers, they’ve only occurred a few times, with one of the last deals of consequence being thetrade that sent Jon Garland to LA back in 2009. The last “blockbuster” between the two squads was the 2004 deadline deal that brought Steve Finley to the Dodgers.
However, a sparse history doesn’t preclude future dealings, and the two clubs might be able to link up for an outside-of-the-box move. Marte would be a huge upgrade for the Dodgers at second, while also allowing the club the flexibility to use Tommy Edman in a super utility role.
For the Diamondbacks’ part, a prime motivation for dealing Marte is to fix their broken starting rotation. While bringing back Merrill Kelly helps them, they still need more. That could come in the form of Tyler Glasnow, who has been rumored to be a sneaky trade candidate for Los Angeles.
Likely? No. Out of nowhere? Absolutely.