World Series 2020: Biggest Offseason Questions for Rays, Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays were the two best teams in baseball this season, and more than likely, they'll be two of the best teams next season, too. 

They got there through different paths. The Dodgers supplemented young talent and established veterans with big-time free-agent additions and blockbuster trades throughout the years. The Rays worked the margins, finding bargains and heavily relying on analytics to support their pipeline of young talent from a fantastic farm system. 

So, heading into the offseason, what are the questions facing two teams expected to largely bring back the same rosters next season? Let's get into it. 

Will Justin Turner Be Back?

Eric Gay/Associated Press

The Dodgers don't really have that many offseason roster concerns, as we'll talk about more later. But the one fascinating player to monitor will be Justin Turner, who is set to hit free agency. 

Turner is 35 but still productive, hitting .307 with four homers and 23 RBI in 42 games. In 2019 he hit 27 dingers in 135 games. But the Dodgers can also play Edwin Rios at third base and there likely won't be a designated hitter in 2021 (though it feels inevitable that the National League will permanently adopt it at some point). 

The Dodgers also have a projected payroll of $177 million for next season. It's hard to imagine they'll want to add much more salary to that figure. Turner has been a mainstay of the Dodgers' excellent run in recent years, but it wouldn't be shocking if he was playing elsewhere next season. On the other hand, he's still productive and a fan favorite. 

This one could go either way. 

Will the Rays Add a Catcher?

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Mike Zunino has a $4.5 million club option, but his two seasons in Tampa haven't been great offensively: .161 with 13 homers, 42 RBI and a .556 OPS in 118 games (though he was better in the postseason this year). 

He is excellent defensively and has worked well with the pitching staff, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Rays brought him back. But adding another player, perhaps an option who can produce a bit more consistently at the plate, would also make sense for a team that doesn't have too many pressing needs. 

Will the Dodgers Make Any Major Moves?

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Because they don't really need to do much. Look at the players they have under contract for next season:

• Clayton Kershaw
• Mookie Betts
• Kenley Jansen
• A.J. Pollock
• David Price
• Cody Bellinger
• Corey Seager
• Max Muncy
• Chris Taylor
• Walker Buehler
• Julio Urias
• Gavin Lux
• Dustin May
• Edwin Rios
• Will Smith
• Tony Gonsolin

The Dodgers can bring their core back and still be favorites to repeat as World Series champions. Yes, they'll make some tweaks to the roster, no doubt. But the core of the best team in baseball returns. There isn't a major need to splash major cash to improve the roster because they are pretty set. 

Maybe they'll surprise us and get aggressive. But the Dodgers you just watched seem likely to be the Dodgers you watch next season. 

Does the Wander Franco Era Begin Next Year?

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

They Rays have youth, depth and a manageable payroll. We know they likely won't make a major splash in free agency, especially with so much talent to filter through the big league club. 

So the question becomes which young players will make a major impact with the club next season. Namely, will we see Wander Franco, considered the best prospect in baseball by MLB.com? 

Here's an excerpt of MLB.com's scouting report of the young talent:

"If you were to build a hitter from scratch using all of the physical attributes and skills that have come to define great hitters, he'd probably end up looking something like Franco. A switch-hitter with ridiculously strong wrists, blazing-fast bat speed and preternatural bat-to-ball skills, Franco absolutely punishes the baseball to all parts of the field from both sides, attacking pitches over the plate while also demonstrating tremendous discipline and rarely swinging and missing (4.3 percent swinging-strike rate in '19). It's why he's recorded more walks (83) than strikeouts (54) across his first two pro seasons while compiling a .336 average. Power is the one part of Franco's game that's yet to emerge in earnest, but it's easy to forecast plus power in his future as he learns to drive the ball in the air consistently and improves upon his 2019 ground-ball rate (48.8 percent)."

Franco is currently a shortstop, but the 19-year-old could make the move to second or third base in the future. At present, the Rays have Brandon Lowe at second, Willy Adames at short and Joey Wendle at third. The Franco era will begin at some point. Why not next season?