Rob Manfred: Big-spending Dodgers aren't bad for baseball

The Los Angeles Dodgers have received nothing but scorn outside L.A. for continuing to compile star talent in unprecedented fashion, at least in the current era of baseball.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred isn't celebrating the Dodgers' big spending, but he doesn't feel it should be condemned either, according to The Athletic's Evan Dreilich.

Asked if the reigning World Series champions are ruining baseball, Manfred replied, "No. I don't agree with that."

"The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization," Manfred said. "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."

Manfred acknowledged the "fans in other markets who are concerned about their teams' ability to compete." He refused to single out the deep-pocketed Dodgers for leveraging their financial might for their greater good at the expense of the other 29 MLB teams.

"We always have to be concerned when our fans are concerned about something," Manfred said. "But pinning it on the Dodgers, not in that camp.”

Rob Manfred does not think the Los Angeles Dodgers are bad for baseball.

“No,” Manfred said. “I don’t agree with that. The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization. Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules."https://t.co/Jb3q2Yo4GB
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) February 6, 2025

L.A.'s offseason moves would even sound far-fetched for fantasy baseball. In addition to landing highly coveted Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, the Dodgers added Blake Snell, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to a pitching staff that already boasts starters Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and will feature the return of Shohei Ohtani to the mound.

Los Angeles has MLB's highest payroll at $353 million and enters the 2025 season as heavy favorites to repeat as champions. Manfred admitted that "some owners have concerns."

“This is an issue that we need to be vigilant on,” Manfred said. “We need to pay attention to it, and we need to determine whether there are things that can be done to allay those kinds of concerns and make sure we have a competitive and healthy game going forward.”

Manfred should be more concerned about teams that choose to prioritize profits over victories and refuse to invest in their rosters.

Athletics owner John Fisher has benefited from revenue sharing but routinely fielded teams with one of MLB's lowest payrolls. Only this offseason have Fisher's A's indulged in free agency to comply with revenue-sharing payroll rules and avoid a grievance with the MLB Players Association.

Fat chance Manfred will crack down on the opposite end of the spending spectrum, though. Dreilich also reported that Fisher is one of the new additions to Manfred's eight-owner executive council.

Rob Manfred disagrees that Dodgers' big spending is bad for baseball

By Joe Lago | Feb 6, 2025