After a disappointing handful of early postseason exits, most recently in the 2023 National League Division Series, the Dodgers wasted no time reloading to build a superteam.
The offseason that saw the team commit more than $1.2 billion was headlined by two of the biggest and most coveted free agents in baseball: Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers gave Ohtani the richest contract in sports (10 years, $700 million), and Yamamoto the richest contract for a pitcher (12 years, $325 million). The Dodgers spent more than $1 billion on those two players alone.
Outside of Los Angeles, few were cheering on the Dodgers’ megaspending. Accusations that the Dodgers somehow “ruined baseball” flew left and right.
The creation of heroes and villains is literally the nature of the business. For anyone still upset, Dodgers future Hall of Famer and veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw has a simple response and solution.
The 36-year-old told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that their owner might want to take a page from the Guggenheim book.
“You know, people can get mad or say what they want, and say, ‘They spent all the money.’ Well, why don’t you guys do it too? Being an owner is a lucrative business, I don’t care what people say. Go do it, too.”
—Clayton Kershaw, via USA Today
Dodgers chairman Mark Walter might have more spending power than his 29 peers, but all are more than capable of spending big money on top-shelf players in the offseason. If other owners don’t spend to compete in the standings, that’s not the Dodgers’ fault.
After years of disappointing Octobers, Walter decided enough was enough. The Dodgers’ front office built the best team it could have. The Dodgers had the resources to outspend every other team, and they did. Why should fans settle for anything less than the most an owner can offer?
Now, it’s time to stop complaining and let the games play out.
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, livestreams, and more!