
While the Los Angeles Dodgers are still waiting to hear if they’re winning the Roki Sasaki free agency bid, team president Andrew Friedman needs to remain vigilant in upgrading the roster. Sure, the Dodgers won the World Series last year, but there’s no guarantee they’ll enjoy the same success in 2025.
All the Dodgers can do for now is focus on building the best roster possible and hope it’s good enough to compete again. If they don’t land Sasaki, the Dodgers could ultimately still benefit by targeting another All-Star from one of their division rivals.
Related: Dodgers Lose Another International Signing With Roki Sasaki Top Priority
Los Angeles Dodgers could pivot to Robert Suarez trade

Naturally, the Los Angeles Dodgers hope Roki Sasaki decides to join fellow Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yet, if Los Angeles does come up short and lose Sasaki to their NL West rivals in the San Diego Padres, the move could still benefit the Dodgers.
One potential solution, as Dodgers Way’s Katrina Stebbins outlined, is to try trading for All-Star closer Robert Suarez.
“If the Dodgers don’t want to take a chance on an aging pitcher like (Kenley) Jansen, one of the clubs they’re fighting for Sasaki could offer a solution. The Padres are said to be “entertaining trade interest” on closer Robert Suarez, who bumped (Tanner) Scott out of a closer role last year after he was traded to San Diego.”
Dodgers Way’s Katrina Stebbins on potential Robert Suarez trade
Another possibility is that the Padres lose Sasaki to another team and then embark on a fire sale. Either way, it’s quite possible Suarez becomes available. If so, the Dodgers should pick up the phone.
Related: Predicting the Dodgers 2025 Pitching Rotation With Doubt Surrounding Ohtani and Sasaki