Plenty of Dodgers questions, but no answers yet this offseason

Plenty of people have ideas about what the Dodgers should do in the offseason to make sure they have a longer season next year. Andrew Friedman doesn’t seem to be one of them.

In a press conference held Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations was clear that things needed to change. “Our goal was to win 11 games in October, and we didn’t win one,” he said, acknowledging that he was among those who fell short this season.

But how will he fix that? It seems that Friedman himself isn’t sure. He referenced a need to figure out what the team can do differently and the role that luck plays in October, the surprises the team endured and the lack of offense.

Bill Plaschke at the Los Angeles Times has one other key factor that Friedman seemed reluctant to address until he could ignore it no longer, and that’s the starting pitching.

“From a 13-man pitching staff, I do think that there was enough arm talent there,” he said. “There aren’t too many guys going six or seven [innings] in postseason games, anecdotally, as I look around.”

Perhaps there are, however, if one looks closely enough—Plaschke notes that six pitchers have worked at least six innings this postseason alone.

Links

• Speaking of starters: Beth Harris of the Associated Press takes a hard look at who’s available to help get the Dodgers back on track when it comes to pitching. With several stars injured, the pickings may be slim.
• Jim Alexander at the Orange County Register says that Clayton Kershaw should play a role on the Dodgers next year, but his suggestions go beyond the mound. He takes a look at who should back up Will Smith behind the plate, what to do about various contract options and free agents, and how defensive depth can lead to more strong platoons in 2024.
• And finally, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya takes a look at the Dodgers’ staffing changes—or rather the lack thereof. Dave Roberts will return, and as Friedman said, “If this were one person or a small collection of people — in my estimation — then we would make changes.”