In the Formula 1 world, “silly season” refers to the period—usually around the sport’s summer break—when rumors about drivers’ contracts and team plans for the next year start picking up more speed than
a car going down a straight. In baseball, that period starts immediately after the last pitch of the World Series is thrown, if not sooner. So buckle up for the chaos, because there’s plenty of it already, starting wit the Dodgers in another series of will-they-won’t-they situations.
Dodgers Notes
Dayn Perry at CBS Sports has a lot of questions for the Dodgers after the end of the World Series, starting with: How will the team get ready for a three-peat attempt? That may be his only direct question for the team, but there’s also plenty of curiosity about Kyle Tucker, Tarik Skubal, and a potential lockout that all have connections to L.A.
Another name that could be on the Dodgers’ radar is Munetaka Murakami, also known as the Japanese Babe Ruth. Oh, you thought that was Shohei Ohtani? Yeah, me too. Murakami’s numbers are comparable to Ohtani’s at the plate, but the new star might not have a spot on the Dodgers unless Max Muncy gets traded, according to USA Today’s Jon Hoefling.
And while Jeff Passan at ESPN argues that the Dodgers don’t need to make any big acquisitions next year, he concedes that that’s the way they roll—although maybe this time, without the huge financial commitment. Passan’s pick is a free agent closer rather than a huge contract for Tucker or another huge name.
Masterminding all of these decisions, of course, is Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ intrepid president of baseball operations. Former manager Joe Maddon worked with Freidman for nine seasons in the Tampa Bay Rays organization and spoke with Jayson Jenks at The Athletic about what makes Friedman’s leadership style stand out.
Alex Vesia sat the World Series out as he and his wife Kayla dealt with the tragic loss of their newborn daughter, and Blue Jays pitchers showed their support for a fellow ballplayer by wearing Vesia’s number 51 on their caps. Dodgers fans responded in kind, donating more than $75,000—mostly in amounts of $51, in honor of the Vesia family—to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, according to Kristjan Lautens at the Toronto Star.
FYI: Former Dodger Justin Turner says he’s returning for his 18th season in 2026, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Turner had signed a one-year contract for the 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs, who declined his option and made him a free agent for next year’s campaign.
