Miles Mikolas hypocritical take on Dodgers payroll is exactly what MLB needs

We're only a few years removed from the controversy surrounding the Houston Astros sign-stealing scheme. The aftermath saw general vitriol being directed at the Astros at every opportunity from fans and players alike.

The Astros were the clear villain of MLB. Now, the torch has been firmly passed to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas called out the big-spending ways of the Dodgers by accusing them of "playing checkbook baseball." He said he wants to "stick it" to them on Opening Day when he gets the start.

“We’re not exactly a low payroll team, but you got the Dodgers playing checkbook baseball," Mikolas said, via John Denton of MLB.com. "We’re going to be the hardest working group of Midwestern farmers we can be. … It would be great to stick it to the Dodgers."

Collectively hating the Dodgers is going to make baseball fun this year

First and foremost, Mikolas publicly roasting the Dodgers is great. Baseball is more fun when there is open hostility between teams. We want teams to hold LA's spending against them and we want the Dodgers to take it personally. The Opening Day matchup between the two clubs on Mar. 28 is going to be all the more fun because of it.

The Cardinals are coming off a 71-91 season. St. Louis has spent $111 million in free agency. Los Angeles dropped a cool billion. The discrepancy is pretty huge and teams will feel that.

At the same time...Mikolas is being rather silly on another point.

Miles Mikolas and the Cardinals don't get to play the underdog card

The Cardinals spend a lot of money. More than most teams in MLB even if they're not among the biggest spenders. They're a far cry from Midwestern farmers.

St. Louis' free agency spend of $111 million this offseason is greater than the entire payroll of 11 MLB teams. There are levels to this. The A's and Pirates get to play that card. The Cardinals are still the Cardinals.

They aren't some scrappy underdog. They're an underperforming group that didn't justify their payroll in 2023 and are under pressure to change that drastically in 2024, beginning with Mikolas.

The pitcher is making an average of $18.5 million per year on his three-year deal, the fourth-highest AAV on the team. He was paid roughly $4.9 million for each point of his 4.78 ERA in 35 games last year.

Midwestern farmers could only dream of making that kind of scratch.