The Dodgers Aren’t Ruining Baseball, They’re Winning It

In less than a month, spring training will officially begin for the MLB, introducing new storylines, and a hope for the World Series as each of the 30 teams faces off. However, it isn’t unrealistic to say that the question of who will lift the World Series is already answered. Again, much like the last offseason, the LA Dodgers have made a major splash during free agency, signing star outfielder Kyle Tucker for a total of $240 million over four years. 

Blockbuster signings have been nothing new for the Dodgers, as the last few years have seen them spend copious amounts of money to assemble a Harlem Globetrotters-esque team, set on dominating the MLB and becoming the fourth franchise to three-peat, winning the World Series three times in consecutive seasons. Now, with the addition of Kyle Tucker, the Dodgers have an absurd line of superstars featuring names such as Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, and the NL MVP and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, so that dream looks more and more like a reality. 

Although the fans in LA are certainly enjoying themselves, the same couldn’t be said for opposing organizations and their supporters, who’ve constantly criticized the Dodgers approach to free agency and building out their roster. As much as they will be mocked, what the Dodgers are doing isn’t unfair, and in a way, pretty ingenious. 

The main fallback that most franchises use to critique the Dodgers is the absurd spending sprees they tend to go on during free agency, scooping up the biggest names on the market. Meanwhile, other teams can only watch, stating how they’re unable to spend as much as they do. But, this notion is easily dismissed by looking across the country at the New York Mets, owned by billionaire Steve Cohen, who are often seen competing with the Dodgers on who can spend more, topping the charts in total payroll from 2023-2025. 

The main difference between the Mets and Dodgers is how they use their money. Although the Mets can go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers when it comes to spending power, they’re significantly outclassed when it comes to scouting the correct players and building a system around them. Just look at their stars, Starling Marte and Brandon Nimmo, who both make over $19 million a year and underperformed during the 24/25 season. Meanwhile, the Dodgers signed luxury players like Shohei Ohtani to enhance the strengths already present in their roster, as well as investing in players such as Max Muncy and Will Smith. All in all, the Mets’ disastrous team-building alongside a slew of other poor mistakes led to them failing to even make the playoffs, after spending over $340 million. 

This goes to show that the majority of MLB franchises are capable of pouring as much money into signing star players as the Dodgers, but refuse to do so, scared of ending up like the New York Mets. This fear is something LA doesn’t have, because although they do spend the most money, they reaccumulate more than their fair share. In fact, the Dodgers became the first ever MLB team to surpass $1 billion in revenue this past season, due to an increase in ticket and jersey sales, and more importantly, renewed interest. As much as other fans will groan about the boring natures of dynasties, the numbers show that the Dodgers have been a reason in kickstarting the MLB’s popularity again.

During the World Series between the Blue Jays and Dodgers, they became the most-watched series globally since 1992, with an estimated 34 million viewers in the US alone. Whether it be hate-watching or cheering for their favorite team, the statistics show that people are invested in powerhouses like the Dodgers.

If other organizations, which have more than enough money, aren’t afraid of taking the risks that LA does, spending at least $300 million a year, they could reap the same rewards as the Dodgers. Instead, their billionaire owners would rather act poor and put more effort into trying to hinder them than focus on their own teams. 

Unfortunately for LA fans, the Dodgers’ dominance may come to a close if they three-peat this year, with discussions about a salary cap being added to the MLB, in an effort to even the playing field. The introduction of a cost cap would most likely prove to be beneficial for the MLB, increasing parity and competitiveness, and has already been proven by other major leagues such as the NBA and NFL. But for as long as a cap isn’t introduced, you can bet that the Dodgers will continue to spend like there’s no tomorrow.