What's next for MLB's division series losers?

The offseason came earlier than expected for four more clubs, who were eliminated in the division series round. We take a look at where each team stands entering the offseason and what areas they might look to address in hopes of a deeper run in 2023.

Dodgers: The most successful regular season in franchise history ended with a thud. Los Angeles was sent home by its division rivals - a Padres team it dominated from April through September, winning 22 more games than San Diego. The Dodgers are the class of the NL over the last decade. They've won nine of 10 division titles and tallied four 100-win seasons but have claimed just one World Series, and that was in the shortened COVID season.

Winning a championship in professional sports is hard. The 2020 World Series counts the same as any other. But this franchise's run can still can be viewed, whether fair or not, as a bit of a disappointment. Now, two straight postseasons without a trip to the World Series leaves plenty of work for the front office to do this winter.

The rotation will be the priority. Clayton Kershaw will once again decide if he wants to continue his HOF career. It's likely the team will be more than willing to keep extending him short-term deals as long as he wants to play. Andrew Heaney and Tyler Anderson were incredible for the club, providing significant value for cheap, but both pitchers will be looking to cash in after career years. They could always return, and will likely want to remain with the club given their 2022 success, but you can't fault them for taking the biggest offer. Expect there to be extension talks with Julio Urias. The 26-year-old has developed into a star and a foundational piece of the rotation. He's set to enter his final season of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent.

The contracts of relievers Craig Kimbrel, David Price, Chris Martin, and Tommy Kahnle are all expiring, freeing up $39 million to help address the bullpen. Los Angeles had the second-best bullpen ERA in the majors, but the back end was unsettled, with Kimbrel not even cracking the NLDS roster.

Things on the position player side could also look a lot different next season as the core continues to get older. The club is facing the potential departure of star shortstop Trea Turner while also holding a $16-million team option on Justin Turner. Should the team be unable to work out a contract with Trea Turner, they could look elsewhere in a loaded shortstop market that's expected to include Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson, and Xander Bogaerts. Picking up Justin Turner's option will be a tough call. He's coming off a year in which he missed 34 games and posted his worst OPS as a Dodger. The team could decline his option and work out a different deal. With limited options at third base on the free-agent market, that's likely the best course of action. Another big decision will be whether or not Cody Bellinger is tendered a contract in his final year of arbitration. He's projected to earn $18.1 million despite coming off a year in which he posted a .654 OPS and was benched in the postseason. It's likely he's either traded or non-tendered - a shocking end to his Dodgers tenure after winning the 2019 NL MVP.

The front office should have some financial flexibility this winter to accomplish its goals - though money never seems to really be an issue for the Dodgers anyway. Unfortunately, regular-season success doesn't mean much in Chavez Ravine anymore, and this front office will only be judged on championships.

Braves: For over two decades, MLB fans have been deprived of a repeat champion. The Braves' incredibly impressive 101-win encore to last year's Cinderella run to the title ultimately came up short. So, if the Dodgers are a testament to how difficult it is to win a single championship, Atlanta is a great example of how tough it is to run it back.

Sure, they lost Freddie Freeman to free agency, but Matt Olson stepped into his spot and left very little to be desired. And, even if Olson for Freeman was a bit of a step back, Austin Riley's emergence as a legitimate superstar more than made up the difference.

And, while Ian Anderson regressed mightily, rookie right-hander Spencer Strider took that spot in the rotation and will likely win NL Rookie of the Year for his unbelievable efforts. If he loses, it'll be to teammate and breakout outfielder Michael Harris II, who hit 19 homers and stole 20 bases despite getting called up at the end of May.

All told, that wound up being a 13-win year-over-year gain for the reigning champs. So, while they won't go to the Big Dance this season, there's a lot for general manager Alex Anthopoulos, veteran skipper Brian Snitker, and the rest of the Braves' front office and coaching staff to work with going forward.

The Braves have been exceptional at locking in their stars to team-friendly extensions before they're even eligible for arbitration, let alone free agency. In-season, they managed to do that with both Riley and Strider. In all likelihood, that won't be an immediate priority for the team with free agency around the corner, but lefty ace Max Fried is heading into his second year of arbitration and has been such a key contributor for this dominant Atlanta run of five straight division crowns.

The priority, though, will be Swanson, who can test the open market for the first time in his career. The 28-year-old All-Star shortstop is coming off his best season - both at the plate and in the field. On the offensive side, he posted a career-best 116 wRC+, hitting 25 homers and stealing 18 bases. Even further, by outs above average - Baseball Savant's measure of defensive prowess - Swanson was the second-best fielder in baseball, saving his team 20 runs.

Swanson has routinely been a very reliable defensive shortstop but merely average at the plate. Even with his impressive 2022, his career 94 wRC+ points toward a bottom-of-the-order hitter.

So, what are the Braves' options? Swanson will likely hit the open market alongside Turner and Correa - who'll command much more interest. It's unclear what Swanson expects to get paid, but he's young, seen as a clubhouse leader, and he's a champion, so at least nine figures is assured. Even Javier Baez got a six-year, $140-million contract last winter, so that'll likely be considered the floor.

Atlanta could also ramp up its efforts at turning its current window of contention into a dynasty by recruiting either Turner or Correa. However, either of them would cost a lot more. Correa won't be attached to draft-pick compensation and will be looking for something near Corey Seager's 10-year, $325-million deal. While Turner will have to reject the qualifying offer, he'll also be seeking that type of payday. Either of those investments would push the Braves perilously close to the luxury tax, especially as the more expensive years of Ronald Acuna Jr.'s, Olson's, and Riley's deals begin. Is ownership willing to enter that territory?

Alternatively, they could let Swanson walk, invest elsewhere, and stick with Orlando Arcia at shortstop. The 27-year-old glove-first infielder is best utilized as a depth piece but has been a serviceable starter in the past and is under team control through 2024. The Swanson decision will dictate a lot of the Braves' offseason plans.

Other than that, the bullpen is the next area of need. Kenley Jansen can shop for a new employer once again this offseason, and while Raisel Iglesias could step in as closer with no problem, the bullpen depth is a huge reason this team won in 2021. While they were still very good, thanks to Collin McHugh and A.J. Minter, they weren't good enough and need reinforcements.

With the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies looking to make some noise in a competitive NL East moving forward, the Braves can't make the same mistake the Chicago White Sox made last winter and sit idle.

Mariners: What a dream season it was in Seattle. The Mariners snapped the longest active postseason drought in North American sports and won a round in dramatic fashion. It didn't end the way they'd hoped, but they got one home playoff game that'll go down in history, even if it ended their season.

Now the real work begins for Jerry Dipoto as he tries to take this team to the next level. And while Seattle made the playoffs, there's work to be done to make the Mariners a sustainable contender.

Julio Rodriguez, the franchise-altering superstar-in-the-making who should earn AL Rookie of the Year honors, was the only Mariners position player with an OPS above .800. The Texas Rangers, who finished 22 games back of Seattle in the AL West, scored more runs in 2022. Rodriguez is going to need some help.

There are plenty of outfielders available in free agency who'd fit the Mariners if they choose to step into those waters again. Aaron Judge is the obvious choice for every team, but Brandon Nimmo would also be a great fit in the Mariners' lineup. In addition to providing some left-handed pop, the Mariners could move Nimmo to a corner outfield spot, where the metrics show he's fared better defensively. Second base is another position they can target for an upgrade, either through trade or free agency.

Speaking of trades, Dipoto's never met one he didn't like, and the Mariners have some trade chips to use. Acquiring (and extending) Luis Castillo at this year's deadline gave the team plenty of starting pitching depth to utilize in trades this winter. Seattle could pick up Chris Flexen's $4-million option and then dangle him in trade talks for some offensive help or dangle Marco Gonzales, who has two years left on his contract. One or both should be on the move this winter.

The Mariners have over $83 million in guaranteed money already on the books next year. They have a young superstar locked up long term, one of the best rotations in baseball, and should have lots of money to play with once again. Expect the Mariners to be very active in the offseason as they look to seriously challenge Houston for AL West supremacy. Anything short of that will be viewed as a loss for the franchise.

Guardians: While the Game 5 loss hurts, let's count the Pyrrhic victories. Cleveland entered this season with trade speculation surrounding its two best players - Jose Ramirez and Shane Bieber. Ramirez is now locked into a team-friendly seven-year extension through 2028, while Bieber will receive down-ballot Cy Young votes in a bounce-back campaign with the club. The team also hosted four postseason games after most pundits picked them to finish no better than third in MLB's worst division. By any measure, this was a wildly successful year for Cleveland in its inaugural campaign with a new name and logo.

The first question to answer before winter begins is who'll manage the Guardians next year. Terry Francona finished the final season of his contract, and the 63-year-old has missed time in recent campaigns due to health issues. The future Hall of Famer could call it quits, making it possible that Cleveland is shopping for a new skipper after 10 years with Francona at the helm. However, the Guardians would certainly welcome their all-time winningest manager back if he wanted to continue working.

If Francona doesn't return, Cleveland's bench job is going to be highly coveted. After being summarily ripped for the return package from the New York Mets for Francisco Lindor, Andres Gimenez has blossomed into an elite hitter and defender. There's a good chance the 24-year-old finishes fifth in AL MVP voting, and he's under team control through 2026. Between Gimenez, Josh Naylor, and Amed Rosario - along with Emmanuel Clase and Trevor Stephan in the bullpen - there's a young and exciting core to build around.

That said, Ramirez, Naylor, and Gimenez are the club's only real power threats. While the Guardians were the best team in the league this year at not striking out (18.2%), they were also second-worst by isolated power (.129) behind the lowly Detroit Tigers.

With shift restrictions coming in next season, perhaps Cleveland's cast of contact kings with no pop - led by Steven Kwan and Myles Straw - will pay additional dividends going forward. But some investment from the front office into better hitters would reduce stress on a strong rotation and elite bullpen.

As shown in Game 5 as well, the rotation lacks some depth. While locking up Bieber - who has two years of arbitration left - is a major priority for the team, it might not be possible to pull off with such frugal ownership. Therefore, making sure the Guardians have more options beyond Bieber and young star Triston McKenzie is likely more important. Elite pitching prospect Daniel Espino could help after striking out 51.5% of hitters he faced at Double-A over 18 1/3 innings last year, but he'd need to bounce back from shoulder and knee injuries. Unless Cal Quantrill, Aaron Civale, or Zach Plesac can take steps forward, the team might want to pursue some external help.

Besides that, Austin Hedges is the only free agent who might need to be replaced. It likely won't be difficult for the Guardians to retain him if they want. While he has the reputation of being a good defensive catcher, he also posted one of the worst seasons by a hitter since integration, with a .489 OPS over 338 plate appearances in 2022. Letting Hedges walk and exploring other options behind the dish might not be the worst thing for Cleveland.