Whether they hoist the Commissioner's Trophy or not, the Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly considering making a significant change to their coaching staff in 2018.

The Dodgers - trailing the Houston Astros 3-2 as the World Series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Tuesday - appear increasingly unlikely to bring back longtime pitching coach Rick Honeycutt next year, league sources told Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

"It would be a major upset if he's back," one source said.

Honeycutt, whose contract expires following the World Series, has been with the Dodgers since 2001, and has served as their pitching coach for the last 12 seasons, playing a major role in the development of Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen, among others.

"If you look at Dodgers teams over the past 10 years and how well they have performed on the run prevention side - being around Honey the last two years, it's not a mystery as to why," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register last October.

Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young award winner, has been particularly effusive in his praise of Honeycutt, who may join another club or announce his retirement this winter.

"He's the best pitching coach in baseball," Kershaw said last year.

"He's very prepared. He works harder than anybody, watches more video than anybody. He's just very good at what he does. Talking to people who have left after they had him, you take for granted what he brings when you don't know any different. I'm sure I do that, too."