The Dodgers aren’t just winning – they’re rewriting the rules of MLB spending. After claiming the 2024 World Series, they’re doubling down on their aggressive approach to building a dynasty.
Los Angeles made headlines last season by landing both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It paid off immediately – Ohtani took home the NL MVP award while helping deliver a championship.
They’re not done yet. This winter, the Dodgers have added Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Teoscar Hernandez to their already stacked roster. What makes this possible is their creative use of deferred money in contracts, most notably in Ohtani’s deal that pays just $2 million annually through 2034 before jumping to $68 million per year for the following decade.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred finally addressed the Dodgers’ spending strategy this week. “This is an issue that we need to be vigilant on,” he said after an owners meeting. “We need to pay attention to it and determine whether there are things that can be done to make sure we have a competitive and healthy game going forward.”
“The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization,” Manfred added. “Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules. They’re trying to give their fans the best possible product. Those are all positives.”
But there’s another side to this success story. “I recognize, however, and my emails certainly reflect that there are fans in other markets who are concerned about their team’s ability to compete,” Manfred noted.
The way the Dodgers are structuring these massive contracts – particularly Ohtani’s unique deal – has raised eyebrows among other owners. But it’s hard to argue with thier results. They’re operating within the rules while building what could be baseball’s next great dynasty.
