Bought and Built: Baseball's New Demands to Compete
By Andre Manzo
To even the most dedicated Major League Baseball fans, the Los Angeles Dodgers have become the consensus Goliath. Their spending and efficiency threatens the value of parity, yet there is no doubt that the old ball game is calling for a new standard.
The defending World Series Champions followed their season success with a blockbuster offseason. Free agency introduced star pitcher Blake Snell and international phenom Roki Sasaki, while also retaining familiar names in Teoscar Hernandez and Enrique Hernandez.
The team’s offseason moves have triggered controversy among fans and reporters alike. However, this speculation is more deeply rooted in the inaction of other MLB front offices, which has been directed as animosity towards Hollywood.
According to ESPN, the team has seven nine-figure contracts on their current roster, which is the most in the league. The money invested into the ballclub totals over $2- billion, with money deferred all the way until 2046. The salary of those contracts is bound to extend well into their years of retirement.
The deferred contracts, outspending in free agency, and overseas signings have all been heavily debated as an unfair advantage to large market teams. While it will continue to be debated, there is no doubt that winning teams attract big names, and that those big names require the funds to acquire those talents.
It is notable that the Dodgers are not spenders ready with blank checks for any big fish. In just the past decade, the franchise has let superstars walk freely with names like Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Trea Turner, and Max Scherzer headlining. There is calculation behind who is worthy of earning the big bucks, and who is better off taking their talents elsewhere.
The criticism’s merit remains faulty. The Dodgers’ 2025 payroll is set to exceed the luxury tax threshold by a wide margin; a reality that a majority of teams refuse to even entertain. So why hate the team that dives into higher risks with their money, their player development, trade acquisitions, and team continuity?
Expanding this lens across the league, the Kansas City Royals are a prime example of the changing demands for a winning franchise. In 2023, the billion dollar “small market” team only won 56 games, well short of the playoffs. In the following offseason, they spent some $105 million in free agency signings, the most in the team’s offseason history.
Expectedly, in 2024 the team won 86 games and competed in the Divisional Round playoffs, breaking an eight-year playoff drought. Spending money strategically buys great talent. Investing in the product, like anything, leads to greater success from said product and baseball is no exception.
There are also teams that have turned a blind eye to the demands of success. The newly downsized and relocated Oakland Athletics are the league’s most notable victims of purposefully poor ownership.
The Oakland Athletics’ leadership has prioritized profit over competitiveness for years before ultimately deciding to relocate the franchise to Las Vegas. Owner John Fisher consistently slashed payroll and failed to invest in a competitive roster, despite the team's ability to generate revenue through the league’s revenue-sharing agreements and TV deals.
Rather than using those funds to retain star players, the A’s became infamous for trading away top talent to maintain underwhelming rosters. Ownership’s neglect led to dwindling attendance that alienated the fanbase, setting the stage for their controversial move.
Instead of working towards revitalizing baseball in Oakland, ownership opted for relocation, downsizing the team’s operations while securing financial incentives from Las Vegas. This downfall serves as a stark contrast to organizations like the Dodgers, who embrace both spending and strategy to maintain success.
Too often, teams cry poor while their ownership groups collect massive profits. The Dodgers’ willingness to reinvest revenue into their team should be viewed as an example to follow rather than a target for criticism.
The Dodgers’ dominance is not solely a function of money. They have built an elite farm system, developed young talent effectively, and made well thought trades that have allowed them to sustain success. Many organizations have had financial flexibility but failed to use it wisely.
Take Roki Sasaki, for instance. The Japanese pitching sensation was pursued by several teams, but it was the Dodgers who ultimately convinced him to sign. Their combination of financial resources, their winning culture, and successful track record with international players made them the most appealing destination.
Likewise, Blake Snell's signing represents an aggressive and calculated financial move. Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner, gives the Dodgers yet another ace to bolster a pitching rotation that has faced numerous obstacles amidst consistent pitching injuries.
The return of Teoscar Hernández and Enrique Hernández speaks to the organization’s commitment to continuity. The Dodgers understand that chemistry is just as important as talent.
For the rest of the league, the challenge is clear. Complaining about the Dodgers’ spending will not change the results on the field. Until then, the Dodgers will continue to set the standard for what a powerhouse franchise looks like.
There is also something undeniably compelling about a true villain or dynasty. Every great sports era has a dominant force, and the Dodgers have cemented themselves as baseball’s new force.
“From our standpoint, that’s our only mission: To do everything we can to be great stewards of this organization and to reward our incredibly passionate fans," said Andrew Friedman, general manager for the franchise.
Love them or hate them, the Dodgers are the defining team of this generation.