The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2026 postseason with a roster averaging 30.9 years, the oldest in baseball, and a Milwaukee Brewers club averaging 27.3 years, which swept them out of the NLCS. Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar, and Mookie Betts, the veteran second baseman, anchor a lineup now under scrutiny.
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The president of baseball operations for the Dodgers, Andrew Friedman, commented on the issue during interviews with Dodger Blue following the NLCS sweep of the Dodgers by the Milwaukee Brewers, insisting the aging position player group was a calculated build rather than an oversight.
“This isn’t something that we just woke up, and we’re like, ‘Oh wow, the age of our position player group.’ We knew what things were going to look like in ’26, ’27,” Friedman noted.
Foresight explains the build, but the age sheet explains the noise.
Projecting to average 33.4 years old in 2027, the eight cornerstone bats have one everyday player, outfielder Andy Pages, 26, under 30. The World Series contender Brewers were younger in the fall, averaging 27.3 years old.
Friedman rejected the notion that age or player talent was the root cause, instead pointing to pitching fatigue in the NLCS loss.
When Dodger Blue spoke to Friedman on the topic, he mentioned the composition of his veterans and the reasoning for long-term contract moves.
“But also, how talented these guys are, the way they prepare, and so much of our long-term contract bets 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 added.
Shortstop Mookie Betts is under contract until 2032 for $365 million, while Ohtani and catcher Will Smith have their contracts run out in 2033. Meanwhile, right fielder Kyle Tucker has an opt-out clause after 2027 on his $240 million contract.
Ohtani’s season demonstrates that he should not be considered a problem in the team’s lineup, as he hit 30 homers and had 81 RBIs and a batting average of .275, but had to quit pitching because of an injury on July 3, 2026.
Ohtani will avoid surgery and be healthy for 2027, and the plan remains to keep his two-way duty, although his pitching workload is still uncertain.
Productivity did not concern the veterans alone either.
Freeman had an average of .288 with 70 RBIs, whereas Pages had 85 RBIs and 23 home runs, proving that the lineup relied on both sides of the age bracket.
Getting younger will not happen overnight, though two spots offer a quick start.
Outfielder Teoscar Hernández might be replaced by 21-year-old prospect Josue De Paula, while a new second baseman could shift infielder Tommy Edman into a utility position.
Relief can be found through the calendar as well. The deal worth $162 million that Freeman signed will expire after the 2027 season, whereas Muncy has a base salary of $7 million for the 2027 season, followed by a $10 million club option for 2028 with a $3 million buyout.
Age is not the only weakness of the Dodgers.
With an ERA of 3.55, the team managed to beat the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in the NLDS, but the pitching was exhausted, losing four straight to Milwaukee.
Those questions only matter if the front office can actually reload, and the winter ahead is full of obstacles.
Dodgers face a complicated offseason reset
Resetting will not be easy, as both the calendar and the schedule are equally uncooperative.
The collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, and the threat of a lockout could put a stop to everything right when the Dodgers need to fill their holes at bench and bullpen.
Left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal ranks first among the nine free agents and won’t get a qualifying offer because of his mid-season trade; hence, there is no draft pick return. To match the eight- or nine-year market is an unusual occurrence for a franchise that did so only twice before.
A reset is also necessary for the bullpen, with relief pitchers such as Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, and Blake Treinen all becoming free agents, leaving the two relievers on the team, Edwin Díaz and Tanner Scott, as the only anchors.
Finally, there is an element of uncertainty about the salary of the Dodgers in 2027 since the 14 current players under contract have an estimated $339.5 million in competitive balance payroll in 2027, but it is still not known whether the format will survive the new agreement.