As a result of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ recent spending and subsequent success, calls for an MLB salary cap have never been stronger.
Implementing a salary cap has long been a desire for certain owners across the league, and frustrations from other fanbases over the Dodgers’ success offer an opportunity to make a push for it in upcoming collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
It figures to cause a rift between the MLB Players Association and team owners when the current CBA expires after the 2026 season. To what extent that will cause a disruption in negations and possibly lead to a lockout can’t be predicted with any level of certainty.
Meanwhile, Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said during an episode of “Starkville” with Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville, that he doesn’t believe the organization’s competitiveness would be affected by a possible salary cap:
“I think if the day comes that we have different rules, I still think we’ll be competitive. I still think we’ll contend every year. That’s our responsibility, because we’re the Dodgers. With that comes the responsibility to contend every year.”
Kasten has strong reason to make that assertion, as the Dodgers’ drivers of success go far beyond spending money in free agency. In fact, it wasn’t long ago the Dodgers shied away from giving out big contracts to free agents and still managed to put together multiple 100-win seasons.
The Dodgers have been highly successful for more than a decade because of their superb player development and scouting department that covers amateurs, the Minor Leagues and the Major League players as well.
By working cohesively, those areas of the organization amount to to acquiring undervalued players and reclamation projects, drafting diamonds in the rough, and much more.
The infrastructure didn’t come about by chance, but rather heavy investment in team facilities and personnel. That fact isn’t going to change in the event of an MLB salary cap.
Shohei Ohtani’s message to Stan Kasten
Kasten recently shared Shohei Ohtani’s desire to win eight more World Series championships with the Dodgers.
Ohtani first expressed the sentiment of winning the World Series every year of his contract as the Dodgers celebrated defeating the New York Yankees in 2024. He then repeated that stance to Kasten while the Dodgers celebrated at Rogers Centre.
Despite how absurd it might sound, Kasten said Ohtani is “fixated” on making it a reality.
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