The Los Angeles Dodgers have won back-to-back World Series titles while carrying one of the biggest payrolls in MLB. Their spending has upset rival owners and led to debates about a possible salary cap.
With one of the largest fanbases in the league, the Dodgers have used their money to sign some of the top stars, helping them win championships but also drawing criticism for affecting the league’s balance.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman strongly rejected claims that the team’s high spending is “ruining baseball.” On the Foul Territory podcast on Friday, he called the idea “an incredibly lazy narrative” and mentioned how the Dodgers have grown over the years.
“I am obviously biased, but I think it is an incredibly lazy narrative,” Friedman said.
“If you look back 13 years ago, the Dodgers filed for bankruptcy. This is just a really, really strong organization right now where our fan support is incredible, and so the feeling that our ownership group has is we have to fulfill our side of this and reward our incredible fans.”
Andrew Friedman says the narrative that the Dodgers are ruining baseball is incredibly lazy. pic.twitter.com/v7UuYDlGCv
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 20, 2026
Guggenheim Baseball Management has owned the Dodgers since 2012, when the group purchased the team for $2.15 billion. Leading the ownership is Mark Walter, CEO of Guggenheim Partners, alongside partners Magic Johnson, Peter Guber, Stan Kasten, Bobby Patton, and Todd Boehly. Under their leadership, Los Angeles has captured three World Series titles.
Despite the outside noise, the Dodgers have kept up their big-spending ways. They landed one of the most coveted free agents this season in Kyle Tucker. “King Tuck” signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the back-to-back World Series champions last month.
Their payroll was $328 million in 2024, $404 million in 2025, and is $392 million for 2026. Only two other teams are over $300 million, the New York Mets at $308 million and the New York Yankees at $364 million, while seven teams have payrolls under $100 million.
Friedman hit back at critics who claim the franchise’s spending is harming the game.
“People are saying that, ‘Oh, so you want the mark just to pocket more money?’ No. Fans come out because they want to watch the best player in the world play this game. It’s incredibly difficult to do. And for us to reward our fans and have the best players we can have, we feel like it’s more common sense than anything,” the 49-year-old said.
The debate is not going away anytime soon. With a new collective bargaining agreement on the horizon and growing anticipation of a lockout after the 2026 season, talk of a salary cap is only getting louder.
For now, the Dodgers are operating without apology. They are spending, winning, and filling the stadium. But if labor tensions rise and the financial gap between teams becomes the center of negotiations, Los Angeles could once again find itself at the heart of baseball’s biggest fight.
