Dodgers Enter Offseason With 9 Free Agents as MLB’s Oldest 30.9-Year-Old Lineup Faces Change
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 16
Dodgers Enter Offseason With 9 Free Agents as MLB’s Oldest 30.9-Year-Old Lineup Faces Change
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 16
Summary
Nine Dodgers are headed for free agency after Milwaukee ended Los Angeles’ season and title bid, leaving Andrew Friedman to reshape a roster that could look markedly different by spring.
A 30.9-year-old average lineup — the oldest in MLB — underscores the pressure: Freddie Freeman is 36 and entering the final year of his $162 million deal, while Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani are also past 30.
Miguel Rojas and Kiké Hernández embody the toughest calls because their clubhouse value may outweigh declining on-field production; Rojas is considering retirement and has said he would not play elsewhere.
Josue De Paula, 21, emerged as a possible answer after posting a 1.081 OPS in 11 late-season games, though the No. 6 prospect still must prove he can defend well enough beyond a DH role.
The roster decisions land amid wider uncertainty, with owner Mark Walter under federal investigation and MLB’s labor fight over a salary cap raising the threat of a lockout.