Just one offseason after stunning the sports world by signing Shohei Ohtani to a then-North American sports record, $700 million contract, the Los Angeles Dodgers followed it up by spending more than $450 million in guaranteed money this offseason to upgrade a roster that won the 2024 World Series with a class of free agency imports headlined by two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
The Dodgers have more than $2 billion worth of guaranteed money tied up in just seven players on its roster, an unprecedented half of which the franchise has decided to dole out in deferred payments through 2046. The Dodgers' wealth—they possess MLB's highest payroll by a wide margin—and strategy of deferred payments has allowed the club to stockpile talent, while also irking the fanbases of smaller market teams.
Speaking to reporters at MLB's spring training media day in Phoenix, Ariz., on Tuesday, Manfred addressed such concerns while defending Los Angeles's spending.
Rob Manfred again defended the Dodgers but also said he’s understanding of fans who are concerned. pic.twitter.com/GKoHIiHbGC
— Matthew Moreno (@Matthew__Moreno) February 18, 2025
"The Dodgers have gone out and done everything possible, always within the rules...to put the best possible team on the field," Manfred said. "I think that's a great thing. That type of competitive spirit is what people want to see."
And yet, perhaps the most jarring representation of baseball's haves and have-nots is the fact that the Dodgers' $1 billion in deferred payments amounts to more money than the Miami Marlins' franchise is worth. No other team has more than $50 million deferred. Opposing fanbases wonder how any team can compete with Los Angeles, whom they feel is exploiting a broken system.
"It’s clear we have fans in some markets that are concerned about the ability of the team in their market to compete with the financial resources of the Dodgers," Manfred continued. "If we’ve been consistent on one point, we try to listen to our fans on topics like this. And I have heard people, believe me."
In the eyes of Manfred, MLB's commissioner since 2014, the problem is bigger than the Dodgers.
"If I’m going to be critical of something, it’s not going to be the Dodgers," he said, via Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times. "It's going to be the system."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rob Manfred Defends Dodgers Amid MLB Fan Criticism Over Spending Spree.
