Following a victory in the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are ready for a potential historical three-peat as the Major League Baseball [MLB] season kicks off. After years of disappointment and failure to get it done on the big stage, the Dodgers are finally the team to beat.
But with winning, someone will always have something to say to negate your accomplishments. And for the Dodgers, it was the idea that they are “ruining baseball.” This stems from the numerous massive contracts that have been handed out to the top players around the league, including clauses within the deals that account for deferred money to pay players off the books.
In the MLB, teams are not limited under a strict salary cap when they spend, unlike other major sports. And no one has taken more advantage of this than the Dodgers, spending a MLB record with a $417 million payroll, which is over $80 million higher than the next highest in the history of the league, not mentioning the over $1 billion that the Dodgers owe in deferred money to their players.
Players, coaches and fans have all taken to their platforms to criticize and call out this issue as certain teams continue to be perennially bad, as they can not compete with the spending of big market clubs. And with a looming players’ association agreement next year, the next MLB season itself may be postponed due to strike.
But despite all the problems some may have, the Dodgers are not the issue for the league’s imbalance. In fact, it is the small market clubs themselves that create this imbalance.
This because not only are the Dodgers the wealthiest club in baseball, they also invest more than any other team. 73% of the teams revenue goes to players, building a culture of investment that pays off when the organization wins big.The perennially bad teams, the Marlins, Rays, Pirates, and White Sox only invest 27% of their budget on players. It isn’t a wealth issue, but a dedication issue.
Small market teams don’t have to fold and collapse as the Dodgers keep spending. The Brewers, Padres, and Cardinals are all consistently top-half spenders while also putting up winning teams.
Whenever the Dodgers win, there will always be words said about the ethics and fairness of their success, but the reality is they are just doing what all great teams do, and that’s having an organization that cares.