Dodgers offseason primer: Bullpen needs, Shohei Ohtani's health and a winter of uncertainty

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani prepares to bat during Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 3. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times) This year, the Dodgers watched the World Series from home, with the Milwaukee Brewers' World Series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays officially ushering in a fresh slate for the Dodgers to plan their 2027 championship pursuit. "When you take the experience and the talent of our core guys, and you look at what is coming up through the farm system], that is what gives us a high degree of confidence about being able to sustain this," said [Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, in his end-of-season news conference, "not just in 2027, but as we look out." As the Dodgers attempt to strengthen their roster to climb back to the top, however, they'll have to navigate a disjointed winter transaction window. MLB owners are expected to impose a lockout when the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1. If that happens, the offseason will grind to a halt, suspended indefinitely until the two sides sign a new agreement. Will that expected shutdown spur early action in free agency? It's unclear, but teams are readying themselves to jump into action whenever the market does move.