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Dodgers Notes: Bold Trade Idea, Shohei Ohtani ‘Exposed’, Biggest Mistake LA Must Avoid

Catch up on all the latest Dodgers news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have a bold trade idea that would break up their dominant starting rotation, but potentially free up more money for impending free agent Tarik Skubal. The two-time Cy Young award did everything asked of him and more after being acquired at the trade deadline, but he is also projected to make close to $500 million in the open market this winter, and the Dodgers have quite a few big deals already on the books.

In other news, superstar Shohei Ohtani admitted that he got "exposed" in the National League Championship Series loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

"The Brewers were overall strong and a very good team, and it really exposed some of the parts of me as a player, and got to give some credit to that," Ohtani said after Game 4 of the NLCS.

It was no secret that Ohtani had been dealing with multiple injuries for most of, if not, the entirety of the second half of the season, but the four-time MVP hit just .192 across the eight October games his team played, adding 10 strikeouts and an OPS of just .630.

Ohtani's first injured list stint as a Dodger came in early September and followed an August that saw his worst production in a given month all season. His .241 batting average in those 27 games signaled that something wasn't right, but after his return from the shelf, he had just five regular season games until the postseason began.

Finally, there is one offseason mistake that the Dodgers have made for two straight years that they would be extremely wise to avoid this winter. An apparent issue that the two-time defending champions displayed in the NLCS was their lack of hitting, especially with runners in scoring position.

If the Dodgers fall into the same pattern that they have kept the last two offseason, it may prove for millions more of wasted money that can better be spent elsewhere.

Here’s all the latest Dodgers news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

One Bold Dodgers Trade That Actually Makes Sense

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Admits He Was Exposed by Brewers in NLCS

The Biggest Free-Agent Mistake the Dodgers Must Avoid This Winter

Dodgers Star Reveals Who He's Rooting for in World Series

Dodgers Tweets of the Day

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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