World Series 2017: Biggest Offseason Questions for Astros and Dodgers

The Houston Astros captured their first World Series title Wednesday night with a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7. Now, while the 'Stros celebrate, the focus shifts to the offseason for front offices around MLB.

Both the Astros and Dodgers are well-positioned to contend for a championship in 2018. While there will probably be plenty of talk about a budding dynasty in Houston, remember there was similar talk about the Chicago Cubs last year. Going back-to-back is incredibly difficult.

Let's check out how the offseason is shaping up for each of the World Series combatants as they attempt to remain the class of their respective leagues. 

Houston Astros

Almost all of the Astros' key contributors are set to return. It's a star-studded group led by Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and George Springer on offense and a starting rotation without a weak link thanks to Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander, Charlie Morton, Lance McCullers Jr. and Brad Peacock.

The one key concern that arose during the postseason was the bullpen.

Houston finished the playoffs with a 5.40 ERA from their relievers, which doesn't even illustrate the full scale of the problem because it began to use starters out of the pen due to the struggles. That worked to help win the World Series, but it leaves a glaring void heading into the winter.

Three members of the beleaguered unit are projected free agents (Francisco Liriano, Luke Gregerson and Tyler Clippard), which will create some payroll flexibility to fix the issue.

The question is whether the Astros will go after one of the high-profile options like Greg Holland or Wade Davis in free agency. It's always a costly endeavor, but with no other major needs and about $26 million coming off the books with Liriano, Gregerson and Clippard, the money should be there.

Meanwhile, Carlos Beltran and Cameron Maybin are the notable potential exits offensively. The Astros can likely fill those spots in-house. Marwin Gonzalez and Yulieski Gurriel can split time at first base and designated hitter. Jake Marisnick can play center field until prized prospect Kyle Tucker is ready.

So there isn't a ton of work for the Astros to do as they prepare to defend their title. Upgrading the bullpen could make them even more formidable in 2018, though.

Los Angeles Dodgers

A lot of things said about the Astros can be echoed for the Dodgers. They feature a championship-caliber roster with a limited number of impact free agents and should only need to focus on depth moves in order to keep themselves in contention for next year and beyond.

There are some marquee names on their free-agent list, including Andre Ethier, Curtis Granderson and Chase Utley, but they are no longer the run producers they were during their respective primes. The only significant possible losses are starter Yu Darvish and reliever Brandon Morrow.

L.A. probably won't sign another high-priced starting pitcher. The Clayton Kershaw-led rotation is strong and it can follow the same path it did with Darvish and acquire a rental at the trade deadline if an upgrade is needed for the stretch run next year.

Attempting to re-sign Morrow will likely be a top priority, though. He posted a 2.06 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 50 strikeouts in 43.2 innings during the regular season. He also pitched in all seven World Series games, showcasing the confidence manager Dave Roberts has in the right-handed setup man.

If Morrow signs elsewhere, the Dodgers front office, which has shown a consistent willingness to spend money to upgrade the roster, could join the sweepstakes for Holland or Davis.

Offensively, the outlook rides on whether Los Angeles is going to give veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez a chance to rebound after a down year that ended prematurely due to injury. If not, Cody Bellinger will likely stick at first base and leave a void in left field.

J.D. Martinez and Jay Bruce represent the top outfield options among the possible free agents, but a multifaceted weapon like Lorenzo Cain or Carlos Gomez could provide more bang for the buck.

All told, the Dodgers already have the top projected payroll at just over $177 million. How much higher they're willing to go will determine what type of bullpen and outfield additions they can make this winter.

All contract information courtesy of Spotrac.