The home run tore through the October sky like lightning.
Shohei Ohtani turned toward the Dodgers bench.
He threw his bat. He shouted. He punched the air. He shouted again.
With one furious movement, Ohtani unleashed months of pent-up frustration.
His streak of 115 plate appearances without a home run was over.
But it wasn’t a three-run home run that changed the series.
It was a last fight.
The four-run lead accumulated by the Dodgers during this second inning which shook the stadium did not last. The Milwaukee Brewers realized that wouldn’t be the case.
As they have throughout this National League Championship Series, the Brewers pressed and pressed and pressed. Little by little, the Dodgers gave in.
By the sixth inning, the Dodgers were behind. Three innings later, they were officially eliminated from the playoffs when Kiké Hernández flew out to left field against Aaron Ashby for the final out after a 6–4 loss at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers didn’t just lose.
They were swept in four games by the same team they swept at this point in the playoffs last year.
Now comes the hardest part.
The Dodgers may be the second-best team in baseball behind the Brewers, but they can’t come back with a similar roster next season and expect the results to be different.
Farewells are necessary.
Farewell to the longtime Dodgers who will forever be known in these parts as World Series heroes.
Goodbye Ohtani hitting and pitching full time.
Given how the Dodgers were beaten by the Brewers, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has a clear directive.
Adjust – or else.
The Dodgers have the oldest team in the major leagues. First baseman Freddie Freeman and infielder Miguel Rojas are 37 years old. Third baseman Max Muncy is 36 years old and utilityman Kiké Hernández is 35 years old. Shortstop Mookie Betts and outfielder Teoscar Hernández are 34 years old.
The problem is amplified by their prime-age players, who are slumping like they’re seniors.
Ohtani, 32, was obviously weakened in the postseason, which explains why a former 50-homer was not a power threat for the majority of these postseasons.
Catcher Will Smith, 31, was out for three months with a disc problem, which contributed to his poor condition in the batter’s box.
Utilityman Tommy Edman, also 31, is an All-Star caliber player when healthy — but he often isn’t.
Kyle Tucker, 29, has been completely crappy for most of the first season of his four-year, $240 million contract.
What Friedman and others in the front office will have to decide in the coming weeks and months is how quickly and thoroughly they will change the roster.
The Dodgers acquired Teoscar Hernández last offseason, and they plan to do so again this offseason, as they already have a promising in-house replacement for him in left field, 21-year-old rookie Josue De Paula. Hernández only has one year guaranteed on his contract.
But what do the Dodgers do beyond that?
Are they trying to move some of their other veterans? Or do they field more or less the same team next season, accept their squad limitations and wait for some of their contracts to expire in a year?
Freeman will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season. Muncy could also leave that winter, as his option for the 2028 season is a team option.
There are no simple answers.
Muncy’s option for 2028 is a steal, at like $10 million. The Dodgers may not be able to find a better third baseman at that price.
Or, in Freeman’s case, how can you not re-sign a player as highly regarded as him?
One factor that could influence the Dodgers’ team-building approach: baseball’s upcoming collective bargaining agreement.
More restrictive spending limits are expected to be on the way as franchise owners push for a salary cap. The Dodgers could be forced to cut salaries whether they like it or not.
Whatever happens on that front, the Dodgers will need to address the Ohtani situation.
Ohtani broke into Japan’s top league at the age of 18. He has been a two-way player in the five seasons he has played for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, and his body has plenty of mileage.
This season has been particularly demanding.
Last year, he returned to throwing midway through the season after recovering from his second major elbow surgery. This year, he attempted to become a full-time hitter and pitcher for the entire season.
Ohtani broke down. He gave up throwing midway through the season. The resulting injuries diminished him as a hitter.
Knowing Ohtani will insist on remaining a two-way player, what do the Dodgers do?
Do they stagger his departures to extend the periods between his departures? Or are they trying to make him believe that by not pitching early in the season he could be a two-way player in October?
The results have spoken.
Changes will have to be made.
Gn headline
