The Los Angeles Dodgers have been quiet since their surprise signing of baseball’s best closer Edwin Diaz in December.
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The defending champions weren’t the favorites to land Diaz, but managed to snag the former New York Met on a three-year, $69 million deal.
Since then, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes have yet to make another signing. However, things are expected to pick up as the winter turns into spring.
With the 2026 season quickly approaching, the Dodgers have been linked to several free agents and trade candidates with the latest star being Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported the latest on the Dodgers and their interest in the right-hander: “The Freddy Peralta talks are about to resume in earnest. Both New York clubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox are among the teams showing interest. Some low-revenue clubs that can absorb Peralta’s $8 million salary are in play as well.”
In 2025, Peralta produced a 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts and a 1.075 WHIP across 176.2 innings pitched. The right-hander led the National League with 17 wins.
Peralta tied a Brewers franchise record by striking out nine in the NL Division Series, highlighting his strong performance in the postseason.
The Dodgers would have to give the Brewers a significant return package in order to add Peralta to the rotation. According to Rosenthal and Sammon, “a major-league-ready starting pitcher” is expected to be included as part of the return.
The Dodgers are one of the few teams who have a plethora of young starting pitchers such as Emmet Sheehan, who has already proven he is more than capable of competing in the big leagues. The 26-year-old sported a 2.82 ERA with 89 strikeouts across 73.1 innings pitched last season.
There was no room for Sheehan in the Dodgers rotation come October, so he came out of the bullpen for LA in the postseason. The abundance of starting pitchers certainly gives the Dodgers reason to trade away some of their depth in order for a big haul, and it’s why Sheehan could be included in a trade package.
As for whether the Dodgers trade for Peralta, fans will just have to wait and see.
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