Dodgers discuss plans for Shohei Ohtani's status, Tarik Skubal's free agency, pending lockout New York Times (Online) Katie Woo LOS ANGELES — Less than one week after his baseball club was dethroned, Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman did something he has not had to do since 2023: He addressed a disappointing season that fell short of the team's goal to win a third consecutive World Series. He's heard the narrative that after a frustrating four-game sweep to the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers' dynasty has fallen. “I welcome it,” Friedman said with a smile. “People saying that we're done and we're on the downside of this run — it's just more noise to us.” There is plenty to discuss about the Dodgers' future — not to mention a federal investigation into owner and chairman Mark Walter and the sport's probable lockout. One thing made clear during the end-of-season news conference Wednesday afternoon is that while the front office is far from satisfied about how the season ended, it remains committed to ensuring that the Dodgers' run atop the National League does not end. Sitting alongside general manager Brandon Gomes at Dodger Stadium, Friedman spoke on a variety of subjects that ultimately sealed the Dodgers' fate this October — and the tentative plans heading into a dubious winter. Less than one hour after the Dodgers were eliminated, Shohei Ohtani addressed reporters in front of his locker and made it clear that despite the multiple injuries that derailed his season, he firmly expects to pitch in 2027. Friedman confirmed that Wednesday , saying: “I fully expect (Ohtani) to pitch next year.” The Dodgers must now configure what that will look like and if a full season of two-way duties is viable, especially if the team wants Ohtani at his best come October. “We haven't gotten into details yet, but I expect us to throw our heads together and figure out both in the batter's box, on the mound, just how we marry all that together to have him impact us as much as he can during the regular season and then also be in a really good spot going into October,” Friedman said. “Exactly what that looks like, I don't know right now.” Ohtani will not need surgery, Friedman said, which should allow for a standard offseason of training. But given Ohtani's dismal second half, the Dodgers will contemplate how best to use him as a two-way player, especially which time of the season makes sense for him to start pitching. Could the organization float ramping him up throughout the first half of the year, similar to how he did in 2025 when coming back from injury? It's a possibility, but it's far from the only route. Ohtani's opinion will carry weight in the decision, though Friedman stressed Ohtani is open to doing whatever is best to help the team. “He is awesome at saying, 'Hey, whatever it takes to help the team win.' He means it. Private conversations, public conversations,” Friedman said. “He's not always the best at saying, 'Hey, this is how I feel.' The greatest players we've been around all do the exact same thing, and it's rooted in how much he cares about competing and helping his team win.” The Dodgers also know they will have to be flexible, and their plans will fluctuate throughout the season — whenever that begins. “I think so much of it is when are we starting up both? Like, is he pitching right out of the gate? If so, how are we going to manage that in the first month and then assess things?” Friedman explained. “It's going to be, 'Here's our plan for as far as we can kind of see out, and let's keep assessing as we go. And we get to that point, let's evaluate and see where we are.' And I think we're just going to have to be very deliberate about it on all sides.” With the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association expiring Dec. 1, any talk of free agency seems moot. There is no way to predict what MLB's next economic model will look like, including whether a salary-cap and -floor system will be implemented. Still, with the Dodgers, the top free agents are almost always on the table. Tarik Skubal could be poised to set the record for the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. Given the sport's financial uncertainty, it's likely that mega-agent Scott Boras will push for a contract before the CBA expires. Will the Dodgers make a play for him in free agency? Friedman, per standard operations of major-league executives, declined to expand on re-signing Skubal. Given the efforts Friedman made to acquire him at the trade deadline, it's notable how highly Friedman spoke of Skubal. “It's not easy for a guy to get traded in the middle of a season to come to a new city, new clubhouse,” Friedman said. “The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can't say enough good things about the impact that he made in such a short period of time.” As for Skubal's free agency? “He's put himself in this position to go out and be a free agent. And for us, it's (to) continue to talk to Scott (Boras). But he and his family have to make a choice over where they want to spend the next X number of years, and obviously we wish him nothing but the best.” In late August, team president Stan Kasten reiterated to reporters several times that despite the federal investigation into Walter — and his subsequent sale of the Los Angeles Lakers — the operations surrounding the Dodgers would not change. “The Dodgers are not being sold. They're not gonna be sold. They're not for sale,” Kasten said. “We are planning only to win. That's what we are always doing, and we are still continuing to do that both this year, and we have started our planning for next year, which is trickier than usual because we're not exactly sure what the rules are for next year.” Friedman reaffirmed that and stated that spending — at least until dictated otherwise by a new collective bargaining agreement — is “business as usual.” “We talked to Mark after we lost, and he was obviously really disappointed,” Friedman said. “But so much of his focus was on, OK, what can we do? What are our plans? What are our thoughts for the offseason? And our brains weren't quite there yet, but so much of his focus was how do we put ourselves in the best position to win in '27?” MLB's annual general managers' meetings — the unofficial start to the offseason — are scheduled to begin Nov. 9 in Las Vegas. There will be more importance placed on these meetings than in years prior, with the league's Winter Meetings likely to be canceled due to the likely lockout. The Dodgers should have a better sense of what their offseason blueprint will look like by then, as it will be the last chance for all 30 teams' executives to meet in person before the CBA expires. The Dodgers registered the oldest position-playing group in the majors for the second straight year, and it's fair to question whether the age of their roster played into their offensive decline throughout the second half and into the postseason — and Friedman said as much. “This isn't something that we just woke up and were like, 'Oh, wow, the age of our position player group.' We knew what things were going to look like in '26, '27,” he said. With the exception of Miguel Rojas (retired) and Kiké Hernández (free agent), the majority of the Dodgers' core is under contract for 2027 — including Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández. The caliber of talent speaks for itself, and that is largely what Friedman is counting on next year regardless of age. “So much of our long-term contract bats are betting on the human — betting on the person, betting on the work ethic, betting on them doing everything they can to keep themselves in the best position to have success,” Friedman said. “But when you couple the core talent that we have at the major-league level with the position-player strengths that we have in our farm system, that's what makes us excited, is the art of how to onboard some of these young, talented minor-league players.” The Dodgers again had one of the top farm systems in the sport, headlined by the enthralling debut of top prospect Josue De Paula. It will be pertinent for Los Angeles to find a way for him to contribute regularly but not until his defense takes a significant step forward. The club is encouraged by the strides De Paula made in the outfield this year, but he still has much to prove. “He's fully aware of continuing to improve defensively,” Gomes said. “We've all seen what he's capable of in the box, which is incredibly exciting. With that being said, we have a very talented core group already here, so I think it's finding those opportunities, but also making sure that throughout this offseason and coming into spring training that he continues to improve and gets to that bar and gets to be an above-average defender.” Still, there are other ways the Dodgers can infuse youth into their lineup, even with their core locked up for another year. After shopping Teoscar Hernández during last year's offseason, might they try that route again? If Kiké Hernández does not return, that could clear the way for Alex Freeland to see a more consistent utility role. When asked if he anticipated staff or front-office changes, Friedman replied: “Still working through things, but I expect status quo.” Manager Dave Roberts is under contract through 2029. While bench coach Danny Lehmann has been a candidate for managerial positions, he has not been linked to the three current open jobs: the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels. Special assistant Rocco Baldelli has emerged as a candidate for the Astros job , The Athletic reported Wednesday. Catcher Dalton Rushing was scheduled for an internal brace procedure on his right elbow to address the partially torn UCL that sidelined him for most of the second half. The operation will keep him from catching for approximately nine months, though he could return to hitting earlier. That opens the door for backup catcher Hunter Feduccia to return next year.