Baseball is broken: Dodgers payroll should embarrass Rob Manfred after latest megadeal

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed free-agent relief pitcher Tanner Scott just days after inking Roki Sasaki to a team-friendly deal via MLB's international signing rules. While money cannot single-handedly buy a World Series, the Dodgers seemingly broke that analogy in 2024 after signing Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million contract with the vast majority of that money deferred.

The Dodgers did their homework, studying the CBA and using every loophole at their disposal. Ohtani makes just over $2 million per season these days (with that number vastly increasing by the time he retired), allowing Los Angeles to build a superteam around him.

It is tough to find a hole on this Los Angeles roster. Injuries can always derail a season, but there's a reason the Dodgers will enter the season as World Series favorites by a wide margin.

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Dodgers latest megadeal with Tanner Scott has broken baseball

In an ideal world, all MLB owners would spend like the Dodgers, but unfortunately that is not the case. While the MLBPA would likely never agree to a salary cap, a salary floor could at least even in the playing field. Unfortunately, there are several penny-pinching owners who would hang up the phone immediately.

After signing Scott, the Dodgers payroll is about $70 million more than any other team. And, frankly, there is very little to deter them from spending as much as humanly possible to win a World Series. Whether it be merchandise, ticket sales or television contracts, the Dodgers make up whatever they owe MLB for surpassing the luxury tax and then some.

Scott, meanwhile, is a tremendous addition. He had a 4.0 WAR last season and a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings pitched. The Dodgers bullpen already featured the likes of Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and more. Now, with Scott in tow, they have a legitimate back-end ace comfortable in just about any role necessary.

Let the record show I do not blame the Dodgers for taking advantage of the money available to them. It is on MLB and its owners for allowing such a sideshow to take effect. The next round of CBA negotiations should take place in 2026, as the current agreement expires that December. Until then, the Dodgers will not be hindered from playing their version of moneyball.