If you’ve been paying attention to the MLB offseason, then you’ve probably seen what the Los Angeles Dodgers have been doing. The Dodgers have been signing players left and right, no matter the position or dollar value the player is looking for.
So far, the Dodgers have signed seven of the top free agents, and show no sign of stopping anytime soon.
Courtesy of Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times
Looking At The Offseason
This offseason, the Dodgers have put their best foot forward once again, signing most of the major free agents. The Dodgers started off with signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year contract in November. Starting pitching was the biggest struggle for the Dodgers in the World Series, and after losing Walker Buehler, they pivoted to sign one of the best pitchers on the market.
Further addressing that need, the Dodgers were able to sign Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki to a six-year contract. Sasaki was a highly-regarded free agent, and most teams were in on him until the end, when he ultimately picked the Dodgers. His final destination was pretty easy to predict from a fans perspective, since he would join Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two of his old Team Japan teammates.
For position players, the Dodgers went out and signed Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim, and re-signed Teoscar Hernández. They also signed relief pitcher Tanner Scott, and re-signed Blake Treinen.
All together, the Dodgers spent $445.5 million this offseason. Besides the New York Mets, who surrendered a hefty amount of money to Juan Soto, no other team has spent more.
Courtesy of Wally Skalji / Los Angeles Times
How Is This Going to Impact MLB?
Fans have voiced their opinions over social media, and many of those opinions are not very positive. Many believe that since the Dodgers are spending so much money on their players, other smaller market teams don’t have the capital to compete.
In terms of payroll, the Dodgers are spending $290 million this season, much higher than the Philadelphia Phillies with $279 million. That does not even include the millions in deferred money from multiple contracts.
The biggest issue from this, is that while all owners have the finances to spend, most of them cannot compete with the Dodgers. The allure of Los Angeles, along with the number of legendary players, makes teams like the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox work extra hard to sign even one free agent.
With the contract agreement between the MLB Players Association and the front office executives set to expire in 2026, it would not be a surprise if many begin to rally for a salary cap. As of right now, MLB is the only league to not implement a salary cap, meaning owners can spend as much as they possibly want. The NFL, NBA, and NHL all have a salary cap, making for more even competition between teams for free agents.
However, with the Dodgers popularizing the idea of deferring money in contracts, there are still many questions on whether a salary cap would work. How would deferred money fit into the equation? Until the agreement ends, this is a question that can leave fans pondering about the future of MLB.
Courtesy of Ashley Landis / Associated Press
Edited by Giana Robertaccio
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