Diamondbacks Owner Calls Out Dodgers for High Spending
Ever since acquiring All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts in a trade with the Boston Red Sox in 2020, the Dodgers have continued to add superstars to their roster.
First baseman Freddie Freeman, starting pitchers Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and two-way player Shohei Ohtani have all joined the Dodgers within the last four seasons.
The Dodgers’ high spending has fostered their ability to sign almost any free agent on the market. In the last two offseasons, Los Angeles has agreed to more than $1.8 billion in free agent signings and extensions.
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Ken Kendrick, who owns the Arizona Diamondbacks, gets a front row seat to the Dodgers’ dominance as both franchises are part of the National League West division. Kendricks believes Los Angeles’ high spending has contributed to an uneven playing field for the division title.
“Are their baseball people and their owners smarter than all the others? I don’t think so,” Kendrick said to Nick Piecoro of AZ Central. “Our game, by virtue of how playoffs work, evens the playing field by some degree in the playoffs. But the regular season is not a necessarily even playing field and I think it should be — more even than it is.”
The Diamondbacks have a $189 million payroll in 2025, compared to the Dodgers’ $330 million payroll, per Spotrac.
Arizona was able to sign top talent like starting pitcher Corbin Burnes this offseason. But Kendrick said the extra financial support gives Los Angeles an advantage.
“I believe in those who are brighter than the next guy being more successful than the next guy,” Kendrick said. “But when you see one team with a payroll that is 5x their competitor, the chances over time of that team at 5x over the less financially supported team, they’re going to win.”
While controversy surrounds the Dodgers’ spending habits, there is no doubt Los Angeles has built a dynasty in recent years. The Dodgers have won 11 NL West titles in the last 12 years and two World Series titles in the last five.
It does not appear Los Angeles will slow down their spending any time soon, leaving NL West teams relying on the unpredictability of baseball to counteract the Dodgers’ financial advantage.
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Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
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