PHOENIX — As Major League Baseball prepares for another potential work stoppage next year, the spending habits of the Los Angeles Dodgers — and whether or not MLB should implement a salary cap or floor — remain contentious talking points between league owners and the players’ union.
But in the eyes of star players Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, the only thing worthy of a debate is why more teams aren’t operating like Los Angeles.
“I f—ing love it,” Machado told San Diego-based reporters Sunday morning, when asked about the Dodgers’ spending. “I love it. I mean, honestly, I think every team should be doing it. (The Dodgers) have figured out a way to do it.
“It’s f—ing great for the game,” he continued. “Every team has the ability to do it, so I hope all 30 teams could learn from that.”
Harper echoed similar sentiments from the Phillies’ camp.
“I love what the Dodgers do, obviously,” Harper said. “They pay the money, they spend the money. I mean, they’re a great team. They understand how to run it. They run their team like a business, and they run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into.”
Manny Machado said other teams should follow the Dodgers’ approach to roster building: ‘It’s great for the game.’ (Denis Poroy / Imagn Images)
The Dodgers dished out two hefty contracts over the offseason, signing top closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal in December before inking Kyle Tucker, arguably the best free agent in the class, to a four-year, $260 million contract in January. Tucker’s signing enraged MLB owners, with frustrations over the team’s extreme spending reaching a boiling point. The deal further fuels the debate over whether the league should adopt a salary cap. Those arguments will likely continue throughout the season, with baseball’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire Dec. 1.
But Harper, who is represented by mega-agent Scott Boras, argues that the Dodgers’ success comes from more than their spending. The two-time National League MVP lauded the organization’s infrastructure, citing “unbelievable” drafting and developing.
“People don’t look at this either,” Harper said. “Like they draft and they develop, and then they trade those guys for big-name guys, and they can spend the money. It bothers me when everybody talks about the Dodgers spending money. No, they draft, they develop, they do it the right way. They understand what it takes to be the best team in baseball.”
The Dodgers enter this season with the third-best farm system in baseball, per The Athletic’s Keith Law. They had seven prospects land on The Athletic’s top 100 prospect rankings, more than any organization. They also boast a strong international and amateur drafting scouting system, and are generally considered by their peers to have one of the top player development systems in the league.
Other teams should follow that model, Harper said. “Each team in baseball has an opportunity to do the same thing. Maybe not at the upper echelon of money, but they can draft, they can develop, they can trade. I think a lot of teams can do that in baseball, and they should.”
This is not the first time Harper has praised the Dodgers. Last April, Harper applauded the organization after Los Angeles posted an 8-0 record to start the season after winning the World Series in 2024.
“I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing,” Harper said. “I think they’re a great team, they’re a great organization, that’s why guys want to go there and play.”
Addressing the media for the first time this spring, Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes acknowledged the support from ownership that allowed the front office to complete the Díaz and Tucker deals. He also pointed out that the Dodgers were not the only teams willing to offer such large contracts.
“We were in the fortunate position to be able to acquire guys that fit really well,” Gomes said. “Obviously, acquiring two very high-end guys with that kind of talent on big contracts, yes. But I think there were competitive markets and those guys being able to choose (the Dodgers), I think, speaks to the culture where our coaching staff and players can develop as well.”
The New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays were among baseball’s top spenders this offseason. The Dodgers outbid the Mets for Díaz, and New York and Toronto emerged alongside the Dodgers as Tucker’s three choices. The Mets offered a four-year, $220 million contract to Tucker — along with a $75 million signing bonus. The Blue Jays went even longer and offered a 10-year, $330 million deal. Still, Tucker signed with Los Angeles, something president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman noted as uncommon, given the long-term deal on the table.
“I think when we’ve seen these kinds of shorter-term, higher-AAV deals, I don’t think they’ve ever come when they also had a really long, significant (offer) as well,” Friedman said at Tucker’s introductory press conference last month.
While many lament the Dodgers’ spending, it’s hard to argue with their success. Their operations, while controversial, are fully permitted under the current CBA. How long that remains the case, and what MLB owners do to try to change that, are the questions.
“There should not be a cap,” Machado said. “I think our game is very good at what we’re doing. There’s a lot of money being made. Look what’s going on with the game the last five years, it’s been great.”
“A lot of teams have the ability to do what the Dodgers are doing.” Machado continued. “It’s just a matter of if they want to or not.”
— Dennis Lin and Matt Gelb of The Athletic contributed to this report