The Los Angeles Dodgers were the talk of Major League Baseball this offseason after another lavish spending spree that saw them add two of the top free agents in Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz.
The Dodgers are now projected to have a luxury tax payroll of more than $400 million for the second consecutive season, sparking outrage from opposing fans who believe the team is ruining the sport.
The Dodgers are fortunate to have an ownership group that is committed to putting the best team on the field, but it also helps that the team has been thriving from a financial standpoint.
President and CEO Stan Kasten acknowledged the Dodgers have advantages that other teams don’t due to the market they play in, via Jack Harris of the California Post:
“The strength of our marketplace provides us with tools that not every market has,” Kasten said. “That’s well known. We’ve never shied away from it. In fact, we’ve done the opposite. We said, ‘We have a market that will produce for us and reward us if we do our job and do things correctly.’ … And that has been what has kept us going.”
Kasten is likely referring to the massive 25-year, $8.35 billion TV rights deal that the Dodgers signed with Charter Communications before the 2013 season. The team also receives unprecedented support from the fanbase, who routinely sell out games at Dodger Stadium and on the road.
The Dodgers additionally bring in extra revenue from sponsorships and simply by having Shohei Ohtani on their roster, who is the most popular baseball player in the world.
When the two-way star agreed to defer most of his salary each season upon signing with the team, the Dodgers made a promise that they would use the savings to continue adding elite talent around him, and that is exactly what they have done.
Stan Kasten: Dodgers ‘expect to contend every year’
Kasten is well aware of the criticism that the Dodgers have received but downplayed it and said the team will continue doing everything they can to win the World Series every season.
The Dodgers are in the middle of a historic stretch that includes 13 consecutive playoff appearances, five National League pennants and three World Series championships. They are now looking to become the first team since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees to win three consecutive World Series titles.
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