For the Los Angeles Dodgers, money has rarely been the biggest obstacle in building a championship-caliber roster during offseasons. The franchise has made a habit of turning blockbuster contracts into headline-grabbing acquisitions, keeping itself in the conversation for nearly every major name on the market. With Tarik Skubal emerging as one of this offseason’s biggest attractions, the Dodgers could once again be tempted to make a splash. But this time, their biggest challenge may not be adding another superstar. It could be preventing the star-studded roster they have already built from falling apart.

With several fan favorites and established regulars approaching free agency, the Dodgers risk losing pieces of the very core that has defined their recent success. The NLCS may have offered fans one last glimpse of this group playing together, leaving the front office with a crucial offseason mission: deciding which familiar faces are worth keeping before the next chapter begins.

“While most of the team’s biggest stars will return in 2027, the Dodgers do have decisions to make with everyone from Kiké Hernández to Alex Vesia to Evan Phillips and even Brusdar Graterol,” The New York Post reported.

The Dodgers have a curious case with Hernández. A name who couldn’t perform in the regular season, while redemption comes in the postseason. The Dodgers extended his contract by one year during the last two offseasons. This time, even Hernández himself is not certain. He acknowledged that he didn’t “really know what’s going to happen” in his free agency.

Currently a 35-year-old free agent following the end of his 2026 contract, Hernández remains an affordable utility piece whose clubhouse leadership and defensive versatility outweigh his declining regular-season offense. Especially with veteran infielder Miguel Rojas retiring, Los Angeles specifically needs a right-handed-hitting utility player capable of covering multiple infield and outfield spots.

However, Hernández missed significant time in 2026 recovering from offseason left elbow surgery and oblique issues, appearing in just 41 regular-season games with a .222 batting average and a .671 OPS. Because Los Angeles already fields one of the league’s oldest rosters, committing to anything longer than a one-year deal would be unwise.

“Kiké has been such a huge part of what we’ve done in the past, and we’ll continue to have those conversations. But what that looks like right now, I have no idea,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes offered no clarity.

Known as “October Kiké,” Hernández owns a career .826 postseason OPS compared to a .706 regular-season mark. His 17 career playoff home runs surpass Babe Ruth’s 15, and he has been a key contributor to three Dodgers World Series championships in 2020, 2024, and 2025. In 2026 alone, he logged innings at third base, first base, second base, center field, and left field.

Such a fan favorite may get a different team, but for the Dodgers, it will be a loss. The same goes with Alex Vesia.

Following the 2026 season, the 30-year-old left-handed reliever entered unrestricted free agency for the first time after completing his $3.65 million club option. With roughly half the league showing interest in Vesia, including aggressive suitors like the New York Mets, Los Angeles will need to pay market value (projected around two years and $25 million, or up to a three-year commitment) to keep him.

Across 31 career playoff appearances with the Dodgers, Vesia holds a 1.59 ERA. In the 2026 postseason alone, he did not allow an earned run across five appearances (3.1 innings) before the team’s NLCS exit. And with fellow veteran relievers Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol also hitting free agency, letting Vesia walk would leave a massive void in late-inning leadership and left-handed matchup coverage.

So, while the Dodgers were expected to lead the trade talks about which big names they are targeting next, 2026 poses a different scenario. Either the team needs to decide to run it back, or a new-look lineup may be around the corner.