With $87 million coming off the books, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the spending flexibility to build a third straight World Series title.
If you thought the Los Angeles Dodgers were good after becoming the first MLB team since the 1999-2000 New York Yankees to win consecutive World Series titles, wait until you see what they might be able to accomplish this offseason. The 2026 Dodgers have a golden opportunity to reload their roster in bigger and better ways in search of an astonishing three-peat.
L.A. has a total of $87 million coming off its books this offseason. That includes the contracts of the retiring pitcher Clayton Kershaw ($16 million); utility man Chris Taylor, who the team released in May ($17 million); outfielder Michael Conforto, who was left off the postseason roster after hitting .199 during the regular season ($17 million); and reliever Kirby Yates, who finished the season with a 5.23 ERA and a negative WAR. That’s more money in expiring contracts than the total 2025 payrolls of four different MLB teams, according to Spotrac, who combined last year for 1.4 WAR, with everyone but Kershaw contributing a negative WAR to that total.
Now shedding that dead weight and the massive salaries that went with them, general manager Andrew Friedman is ready to go big game hunting, especially after the Dodgers became the first team in MLB history to hit $1 billion in revenue in one year, obliterating the competition on and off the field.
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Of course, you know the Dodgers are reportedly interested in All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, the top free agent on the market, who could potentially command a contract as large as $400 million over 10 years. L.A. left fielders registered just a .636 OPS last season, 28th in baseball, and a -0.7 WAR. Tucker could quickly turn a negative position into a middle-of-the-order asset.
Elsewhere, could the Dodgers try to steal Bo Bichette away from World Series rival Toronto? What about two-time World Series champion Alex Bregman? What if they leverage their Japanese trio of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki, and pursue free agents coming from the Japanese league to MLB, like power-hitting infielder Munetaka Murakami or starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai? This could be a golden opportunity to infuse youth into their aging offensive core.
But if L.A. had any weakness last season, it was in the bullpen. Dodger relievers had a 4.27 ERA in 2025, the 10th-worst mark in baseball. Will they go after free agent All-Star closers Edwin Diaz or Robert Suarez from rivals like the New York Mets or San Diego Padres? You know that Friedman would love to strengthen a liability while severely damaging National League competition.
Also, remember that all this payroll flexibility the Dodgers have is largely due to the unique Ohtani contract, where the vast majority of his $700 million contract is deferred. If he actually counted $70 million per year on the LA payroll, it wouldn’t have nearly as much to improve the roster around Shohei, which has helped fund the last two World Series champions.
With the championship core led by Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Yamamoto still in place and the potential to spend $100 million in 2026 salary, the Dodgers are in prime position to build a monster roster that leaves an even wider gap between themselves and the 29 other MLB teams as they continue to run circles around the rest of baseball.
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