The Los Angeles Dodgers don’t have any shortage of talent in their starting rotation, and with right-hander River Ryan returning from Tommy John surgery, their options have only grown.

The Dodgers are expected to run a six-man rotation consisting of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Emmet Sheehan in 2026, much like they did towards the end of the 2025 regular season.

This star-studded lineup gives Ryan little room to wiggle into, and MLB.com’s Sonja Chen believes the Dodgers could use him as a trade piece before the beginning of the season.

“As someone with tantalizing potential, but a limited track record and the uncertainty that comes after Tommy John surgery, Ryan could be an interesting trade chip for the Dodgers,” Chen wrote. “Or they could bet on the exciting young arm they saw in 2024 becoming a valuable part of their rotation in the foreseeable future.”

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Ryan impressed in his four starts during the 2024 season, posting a 1.33 ERA through 20.1 innings. He landed on the injured list in Aug. 2024, and missed the entirety of the 2025 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery.

As far as what the Dodgers would trade the right-hander for, their biggest need at the moment is in the outfield. The Dodgers didn’t produce too much offense in left field last season, as Michael Conforto had the worst season of his career in Dodger blue.

With Conforto now in free agency, the Dodgers are looking for a better option in left — both offensively and defensively. Numerous names have come up all offseason, with the biggest trade candidates being the Cleveland Guardians’ Steven Kwan and Boston Red Sox’s Jarren Duran.

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The Dodgers don’t have to make a move yet, though, as Ryan could very well come out and prove to be just as good as he was in 2024. Manager Dave Roberts clearly still has faith in Ryan, and will hope he can break through into the team as the Dodgers look to three-peat.

“I’m excited for River. I’m excited for Gavin,” Roberts said at the Winter Meetings. “Because to see your teammates celebrate and go through what we went through and not be able to participate, those are things that we’re all betting on for that extra hunger to kind of make their impact in 2026.”

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