The Los Angeles Dodgers are the main target for proponents of MLB implementing salary cap as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement started.
Critics of the disparity in spending between the Dodgers and those at the bottom of payroll claim that a salary cap is the only solution to creating a level playing field for all 30 teams.
What they fail to realize is that the Dodgers will always have some sort of advantage because of their world class development system. Emmet Sheehan said that aspect of the Dodgers organization and the impact it has is too often overlooked, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.
“Our development system is what gets overlooked,” Sheehan says, “how much time and money they put into finding the right people in the minor leagues to make people better. When I got drafted, I didn’t realize how lucky I was coming to an organization like this. Obviously, they put a lot of money into the team here, which is awesome, but there are a lot of guys that contribute way more than people realize, guys stepping up when we’ve had injuries.”
A great example of the Dodgers’ developmental success is Jack Dreyer, who joined the organization as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Dreyer made his MLB debut in 2025 and has become a reliable relief option. He too championed the Dodgers’ overall ability to extract the most out of their players.
“One of the things that the Dodgers do better than anybody else,” Dreyer said, “is that as soon as you get into that organization, they’re doing everything they can to develop you to maximize your potential. When I first got to the Dodgers organization, I had a long way to go before I had a chance at anything. I think they saw something that even I didn’t see in myself, but they kept fine-tuning, and tweaking, and revamping different things until I got to this point. Every single guy who’s in the Dodger organization is very lucky with all of the resources the Dodgers provide, so I’m very thankful I signed here.”
The Dodgers have a proud tradition of taking in castoffs from other teams and helping them become productive, and in some cases, elite, Major Leaguers. From Max Muncy to Chris Taylor, Will Klein and countless other examples, none of that would be possible without Dodgers scouts who identify them and the player development resources and staff.
More recently, it has been prospects reaping the benefits of being developed by the Dodgers. Some of the farm talent acquired in trades over the past handful of seasons have become top-100 prospects after joining the Dodgers.
Pro-salary-cap owners are either willfully ignorant or unaware that the Dodgers’ success comes not just from their payroll but from a commitment to investing in all aspects of baseball operations. Until they realize that fact, implementing a salary cap will not help them compete with L.A.
Opening CBA proposals have salary cap at center of talks
Major League Baseball and the Players Association (MLBPA) submitted their opening proposals for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), but the two sides remain far apart in negotiations.
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