With the winter meetings now behind us, the Dodgers came out of Orlando with a new closer in Edwin Díaz, though that move hasn’t yet been made official. The bullpen suddenly looks so much stronger with him in it.
In pieces from Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic and Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers have reported interest in both Kyle Tucker and old friend Cody Bellinger, though likely on shorter deals if possible. And both pieces note that if the Tigers do trade ace Tarik
Skubal, the Dodgers would at least be able to pounce. Nothing there seems imminent there.
Woo and Rosenthal note that a potential Teoscar Hernández trade is at least possible:
The Dodgers continue to “kick the tires” on trading Teoscar Hernández, a league source said, though general manager Brandon Gomes said Monday that trading the right fielder “doesn’t feel likely.” Still, the Dodgers might feel inclined to deal Hernández, whose defense declined last year, to free up roster space. The Kansas City Royals have coveted an offense-first outfielder, and have interest in Hernández, a league source said.
As for Hernández, don’t look for him in the World Baseball Classic in March.
Harris also mentioned other Dodgers areas of interest:
The Dodgers could alternatively get aggressive on the trade market. Brandon Donovan and Lars Nootbaar of the St. Louis Cardinals are seen internally as fits. Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians would be an even bigger-name addition, albeit is less likely to be dealt this winter.
Joe Buck was named the Ford C. Frick Award winner for broadcasting excellence on Wednesday by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and will be inducted in Cooperstown during the July 24-27, 2026 weekend. Joe Reedy at Associated Press pointed out that the 56-year-old Buck is the second-youngest announcer to join the Hall of Fame, two years older than Vin Scully in 1982. Rene Cardenas, who called Dodgers games in Spanish from 1958-61 and 1982-98, was one of the 10 names on the Frick Award ballot this year.
Starz is developing a television drama about the Ippei Mizuhara scandal. The official description of the project about Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter is, well, one interpretation someone might choose. From Rick Porter at The Hollywood Reporter:
The logline for the Mizuhara drama says the potential series will tell “the inside story of Shohei Ohtani’s translator Ippei Mizuhara, who journeys from unemployed drifter to international icon only to find himself tangled in a gambling scandal that rocked the sports world.” Mizuhara pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud and tax evasion in June 2024 and was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Ohtani was not implicated in the gambling allegations.
