Here's how the Dodgers plan to get even better in '25

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LOS ANGELES -- Fresh off a World Series title, Dodgers executives flew to San Antonio earlier this week to take part in the General Managers Meetings, the first significant event of the offseason.

Although the Dodgers didn’t make any moves -- which is never expected at the GM Meetings -- they did lay the groundwork for what the rest of their offseason could look like. The message from GM Brandon Gomes was simple: They want to get even better than last season.

How exactly can they do that?

Let’s take a look at three things that were said in San Antonio, and how things could play out over the next couple of months.

1) Starting pitching will improve

Going into the postseason, the rotation was a huge question mark. Those concerns all came to life, especially considering the team needed to lean on bullpen games every fourth game. The Dodgers, of course, were able to overcome some shaky starts from Jack Flaherty and a pair of bad bullpen games en route to a World Series title.

Moving forward, however, the Dodgers know that formula isn’t sustainable, nor fair to the offense and high-leverage bullpen arms, which were both excellent in October.

Bringing Walker Buehler and Flaherty back on free-agent deals will be in play. The Dodgers are also expected to dive into the big market for starting pitching, which includes Blake Snell, Max Fried and Corbin Burnes. Fried is a hometown kid who played high school baseball with Flaherty. Snell, the most dominant of the trio, is a proven postseason pitcher, as the Dodgers saw in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series.

Of this group, Burnes will likely demand the most money and years. Landing him just depends on how comfortable the Dodgers would be in making that type of commitment. There’s also the likely chance that Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki will be posted by his team this offseason. If that happens, the Dodgers will be among the favorites.

With Tyler Glasnow’s lengthy injury history, uncertainty around Shohei Ohtani’s availability early in the season after his shoulder surgery and the Dodgers committing to a six-man rotation, the team has a need for multiple starting pitchers. They’re well positioned to make a big splash or two this offseason.

“Obviously, we can never have enough pitching, as we’ve learned,” said Gomes. “So pitching will be a priority, as it’ll be for every other team.”

2) Is Teoscar the guy? If not, who?

Few players improved their stock this past season more than Teoscar Hernández. After signing a one-year, $23.5 million deal last offseason, the Dominican outfielder played an integral role on the World Series team.

Immediately after the parade, Hernández made it clear that his priority is to stay in Los Angeles. The Dodgers and Hernández’s representatives have talked and will continue to do so over the next couple of weeks. But as we know, baseball is a business, and things don’t always work out.

Hernández will have a healthy market as the best outfield option not named Juan Soto. If he’s blown away by another team, it could be difficult for the Dodgers to keep him. If it’s not Hernández, then the Dodgers need to figure out something else in the outfield.

They could look at the trade market, though that’s a bit unclear at this point. L.A. could also go with some lower-cost options, such as Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham. All will depend on how the market shakes out for Hernández. Right now, however, the hope is for the two sides to run it back, this time with a multiyear deal.

3) A lifetime of Doctobers

Once the Dodgers have a better idea of what their roster will look like next season, the first order of business will be to extend manager Dave Roberts.

Roberts is going into the final year of his contract, but he has constantly made it clear that he wants to stay in Los Angeles for the remainder of his career. With two World Series titles under his belt now, he is on his way to being a Hall of Fame manager, and that should all happen with the Dodgers.