MLB World Series 2024: Biggest Offseason Questions for Yankees and Dodgers

The 2024-25 MLB offseason has officially arrived for all 30 teams.

It just may not feel like that for the two World Series combatants.

As far as feelings go, it's euphoria for the victorious Los Angeles Dodgers and devastation for the New York Yankees, who couldn't follow their 11-4 Game 4 win despite being staked to a 5-0 lead and having their ace, Gerrit Cole, on the hill in Game 5. An error-filled, five-run fifth inning won't escape this club's nightmares anytime soon, as the unraveling helped the Dodgers complete their championship run.

"This is going to sting forever," Yankees skipper Aaron Boone told reporters afterward.

While these two franchises take their dramatically different moods into the offseason, their decision-makers must set emotions aside and get down to business. There are decisions to make for both clubs, with one potentially reshaping the baseball world.

A $1 billion spending spree last offseason cemented the Dodgers' core. Most of their key contributors are set in stone, and the uber-talented trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and World Series MVP Freddie Freeman is set to terrorize opposing staffs once again.

As for how the Dodgers assemble the supporting cast around them, there are some uncertainties. They have a handful of notable free agents entering the open market, including deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty, 2023 signee Teoscar Hernández, two-time All-Star Walker Buehler and lockdown reliever Blake Treinen.

Dodger lifer and three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw also holds a $10 million player option. He is aiming to return after an injury-riddled 2024 season which was delayed by shoulder surgery and prematurely ended by a toe injury. The 36-year-old threw just 30 innings this season (while posting a personal-worst 4.50 ERA), though it's worth noting he was an All-Star in each of the previous two seasons.

Regardless what happens in-house, the Dodgers will be on the hunt for at least a few external upgrades.

Their rotation needs depth behind Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Ohtani. Perhaps they'll try to see if some of their young pitchers can fill out the rotation, but after seeing their starters get roughed up by the injury bug down the stretch, they might seek out stability. They'll also likely look for some relievers with Treinen, Daniel Hudson and Joe Kelly all slated for free agency.

As for position players, they might be on the lookout for middle infielders and corner outfielders. If Betts covers right field, they might want to shore up one or both of second base and shortstop. Even if they pick up their club option on Miguel Rojas, they'll likely want to plug him into a utility role, and they may have questions about the trajectory of Gavin Lux.

With Betts in right field, the Dodgers could lean on Tommy Edman and Andy Pages in center, but they'd still have a hole in left if Hernández signs elsewhere.

The Yankees took a risk last December when they parted with five players to land Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres. The risk, of course, had nothing to do with Soto's ability—he was all-caps AWESOME in pinstripes—and everything to do with his upcoming venture into free agency.

Soto, a four-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger, is merely days removed from his 26th birthday. It's quite possible his best baseball is still ahead of him, an incredible possibility that's about to cost someone an incredible amount of money.

A $500 million contract almost feels like a conservative estimate of what he could command on the open market. And, in case there was any doubt, he made clear Wednesday night his intentions of examining the full depths of his market.

"I'm really happy with the city, with the team, but at the end of the day we will see," Soto told reporters. "We're going to look at every situation, every offer that we get. I don't know what teams want to come after me, but definitely I'll be open to listen to every single team. I don't have any doors closed or anything like that, so we're going to be available for all 30 teams."

There's a touch of hyperbole in that quote, since not all 30 teams can afford a $500 million-plus player. Having said that, Soto's market will be robust. The Yankees will be firmly in the mix, but there's certainly a scenario in which they don't get a deal done. If Soto moves on, they "might be able to sign three or four stars," per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who mentioned Pete Alonso, Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Anthony Santander and Alex Breman as potential targets for this Plan B alternative.

While Soto's free agency is easily the biggest story in New York—and the baseball world at large—there are other decisions for the pinstripes to make.

Their list of non-Soto notable free agents includes Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo, Clay Holmes and Tommy Kahnle. Gerrit Cole also holds an opt-out—which the Yankees can void by adding an extra year for $36 million to the back of his contract—and there are team options on Anthony Rizzo ($17 million), Lou Trivino ($5 million) and Luke Weaver ($2.5 million).

New York's July trade for Jazz Chisholm Jr. felt like a precursor to the offseason departure of Torres, meaning the Yankees could be on the hunt for a replacement at second or third base (depending where Chisholm plays). New York may also have two holes in the outfield depending on what Soto and Alex Verdugo decide in free agency.

As for pitching, the Yankees could be set in the rotation, but they'll likely be in the reliever market. Even if Weaver pitched his way into the closing role, New York might need some setup pitchers with Holmes and Kahnle entering free agency.