PHOENIX — The Los Angeles Dodgers have been minding their own business, trying to secure another National League West title, hoping for a historic World Series three-peat, and not uttering a peep about the labor negotiations.
But every day they wake up and read the newspaper, turn on the TV, check out their iPhone, someone is dragging them through the crosshairs of the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations.
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They’re spending too much money.
They’re the reason there needs to be a salary cap.
If there’s a prolonged work stoppage, blame the Dodgers.
The Dodgers have heard enough, and now, it’s about time everyone shuts their mouth.
“My honest opinion is the majority of takes about the Dodgers couldn’t be more lazy,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts tells USA TODAY Sports, “that it’s just about the payroll. It’s about the draft. It’s about layering on where we pick in the draft annually. The player development. How we acquire international talent. How we perform consistently at the major-league level.
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“I actually think it’s a competitive advantage in the sense that people feel that way, and not look at themselves in the mirror and see how they can operate things better. So that’s beneficial for us.”
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 21, 2026: Shohei Ohtani bats against San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp at Oracle Park.
(D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 21, 2026: Shohei Ohtani bats against San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp at Oracle Park.
(D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Oct. 17, 2025: Shohei Ohtani celebrates with teammates in the clubhouse after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos (Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Oct. 4, 2025: Shohei Ohtani made his first postseason pitching appearance in NLDS Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed, 5-3, and Ohtani got the win.
(Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Sept. 9, 2025: Shohei Ohtani steals second base under the tag of Colorado Rockies second baseman Tyler Freeman during the third inning at Dodger Stadium.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Aug. 27, 2025: Shohei Ohtani is interviewed by Spectrum SportsNet reporter David Vassegh (right) alongside translator Will Ireton after a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Aug. 20, 2025: Shohei Ohtani delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
(Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
July 15, 2025: Shohei Ohtani does an interview on the red carpet before the 2025 MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta.
(Brett Davis, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
June 16, 2025: Shohei Ohtani makes his pitching debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 2, 2025: Shohei Ohtani is greeted at home after hitting a walk-off home run against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the game, 6-5, on what was Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night.
(Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 19, 2025: Shohei Ohtani is introduced and enters the field before the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Chicago Cubs during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. The Dodgers won the game, 6-3.
(Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 18, 2025: The scoreboard at the Tokyo Dome shows a photo of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani before the season opener against the Chicago Cubs during the Tokyo Series. The Dodgers won the game, 4-1.
(Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Nov. 1, 2024: Shohei Ohtani holds his dog, Decoy, as he walks with off the field his wife Mamiko Tanaka following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series championship celebration at Dodger Stadium.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Oct. 31, 2024: Shohei Ohtani celebrates with the Commissioner’s Trophy after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in Game 4 to win the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Oct. 30, 2024: Shohei Ohtani (17) and the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees in Game 4 to win the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium.
(Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Sept. 19, 2024: Shohei Ohtani reacts to a standing ovation from the fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season. He hit it against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park.
(Sam Navarro, Imagn Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Aug. 28, 2024: Shohei Ohtani with his dog Decoy after he delivered he first pitch before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Aug. 24: Shohei Ohtani is doused after he joined the 40-40 club with a walk-off grand slam.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
July 25, 2024: Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium.
(Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
July 16, 2024: Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game at Globe Life Field.
(Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
July 16, 2024: Shohei Ohtani walks the red carpet with wife Mamiko Tanaka before the 2024 MLB All-Star Game at Globe Life Field.
(Kevin Jairaj, USA TODAY Sports)
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April 29, 2024: Shohei Ohtani breaks for third base against the Diamondbacks.
(Michael Chow, USA TODAY NETWORK)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 26, 2024: Shohei Ohtani rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Blue Jays.
(Nick Turchiaro, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 24, 2024: Shohei Ohtani gestures to his dugout at second base after hitting an RBI double against the Nationals.
(Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 23, 2024: Shohei Ohtani in the outfield during a throwing session prior to the Dodgers’ game.
(Geoff Burke, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 21, 2024: Shohei Ohtani hits a solo homer against the Mets during the third inning at Dodger Stadium.
(Jonathan Hui, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 12, 2024: Shohei Ohtani is showered with sunflower seeds after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Padres.
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 9, 2024: Shohei Ohtani hits a fly ball against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
(Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 7, 2024: Shohei Ohtani gestures after hitting a one-run double against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
(David Banks, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 5, 2024: Shohei Ohtani hits a two-run home run against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
(Matt Marton, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
April 2, 2024: Shohei Ohtani waits on deck in the first inning against the Giants at Dodger Stadium.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 28, 2024: Shohei Ohtani makes his Opening Day debut against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.
(Jason Parkhurst, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 20, 2024: Shohei Ohtani gets his first hit as a Dodger in the third inning during the 2024 Seoul Series game against the Padres.
(Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 20, 2024: Mamiko Tanaka, wife of Shohei Ohtani, watches Ohtani’s debut as a Dodger in the season opener in Seoul, South Korea.
(Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 13, 2024: Shohei Ohtani signs autographs before the spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch.
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 5, 2024: Shohei Ohtani talks with former Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout before a spring game.
(Allan Henry, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
March 3, 2024: Shohei Ohtani looks on from the dugout during a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at Camelback Ranch.
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Feb 21, 2024: Shohei Ohtani (left) and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto poses during picture day at Camelback Ranch.
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Feb 21, 2024: Shohei Ohtani poses for a portrait during picture day at Camelback Ranch.
(Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Feb. 14, 2024: Shohei Ohtani takes batting practice during a Spring Training workout at Camelback Ranch.
(Joe Camporeale, Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Dec. 21, 2023: Shohei Ohtani and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (right) pose with Los Angeles Rams mascot Rampage at SoFi Stadium.
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Dec. 14, 2023: Shohei Ohtani and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pose for pictures during the press conference.
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
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Shohei Ohtani: Dodgers’ $700 million man in photos
Dec. 14, 2023: Shohei Ohtani is introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time at a press conference at Dodger Stadium.
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
Sure, the Dodgers spend lots of money, with an opening-day payroll of $316.6 million, which is still about $40 million less than the New York Mets’ $352.2 million. The Dodgers have spent $1.75 billion the past five years, which is virtually the same amount as the Mets, and within $100 million annually of the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres.
“At the end of the day,” 2025 World Series hero Miguel Rojas said, “it’s not about wasting money or spending money to buy the best players because that’s not going to guarantee you anything. You can see it. There are another five or six clubs close to us in payroll, and they haven’t accomplished it. That’s why people aren’t talking about them, because they haven’t won.
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“People just talk about us.”
Anyone blaming the Mets for ruining baseball?
Oh, that’s right, they’ve made the playoffs only twice in the past nine years, and haven’t won the World Series since 1986, so we don’t care.
The Phillies have reached the postseason each of the past four years, but since they haven’t won a World Series since 2008, no biggie.
The Padres have been to the playoffs four times in the past six years, but they have never won a World Series in their 58-year history, so they remain that cute little team in that lovely beach town.
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But, oh, those damn Dodgers.
They have reached the postseason 13 consecutive years, won 12 NL West titles, five National League pennants and three World Series championships.
How dare they keep trying to win.
It was just 15 years ago that the Dodgers filed for bankruptcy. Major League Baseball had to step in and take control of day-to-day operations, forcing the sale of the team, and calling them an embarrassment to the sport.
Now that they’re winning, spending money and creating one of the greatest dynasties in the last 50 years, they’re being lambasted again.
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So, are the Dodgers ruining baseball because they’re too good and have the greatest business model in the sport, or were they ruining baseball before when they were a financial disaster?
Please, will someone in the baseball hierarchy kindly step up and make up their mind.
“When we hear stuff about the CBA and that kind of stuff, how the Dodgers are ruining baseball,” Dodgers left-handed reliever Jack Dreyer says, “it’s kind of what Doc (Roberts) said at the World Series ceremonies last year, ‘Let’s just keep winning and continue to ruin baseball until they tell us we can’t.'”
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Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (right) celebrates a solo home run from Shohei Ohtani (17) against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 27, 2026.
Right now, the only thing the Dodgers are ruining is the carpet inside their clubhouse after all of the champagne showers over the years.
“Having the payroll and the depth that gives you,” Roberts says, “certainly is a benefit. No one’s debating that. But I do think that the players we acquire, how we play the game every night, getting younger players to assimilate in a star-studded clubhouse, that’s important. That’s hard to quantify, but that’s of value.
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“If you look at the World Series the last couple of years, there’s a lot of home-grown guys making league minimum that have been on postseason rosters.”
Take a look at this year’s Dodgers team:
They had 12 homegrown players, including eight who appeared in Tuesday’s 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
They had five homegrown players in their starting lineup, counting third baseman Max Muncy, who was released by the Athletics in 2017, and signed by the Dodgers to a minor-league contract.
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Certainly, anyone could have signed Muncy, who is now their longest-tenured active player with the third-most homers in franchise history, with a team-leading 14 homers this year.
Anyone could have traded for Boston Red Sox MVP Mookie Betts in 2020, but only the Dodgers stepped up to land him.
First baseman Freddie Freeman was without a job in March 2022, but the Dodgers decided to sign him.
Even Shohei Ohtani, who signed 10-year, $700 million contract with $680 million deferred, gave everyone a chance to match the contract, and would have happily returned to the Angels if they said, “Yes.” They declined, too.
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Having a huge payroll, of course, has enabled the Dodgers to get away with free-agent decisions that could have devastated other teams.
They paid $182 million to starter Blake Snell. He has pitched 64⅓ innings, has won five games since the deal and is sidelined until July.
They did a trade-and-sign deal with the Tampa Bay Rays for Tyler Glasnow and signed him to a $136.56 million contract. He has won seven games since last season, pitched 130 innings and is out indefinitely with back spasms.
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They signed free-agent closer Tanner Scott a year ago to a four-year, $72 million contract, only for him to pitch so poorly that they went out and signed a new closer in Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract. Diaz is now out until after the All-Star break with elbow surgery.
And they signed free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker this winter, giving him a stunning four-year, $240 million contract, only for him to be hitting .238 with four homers and a .722 OPS.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman reacts after hitting a seventh inning single against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on June 2, 2026
Yet, here they are, sitting in first place in the NL West with a 39-22 record, with a season-high six-game lead – the largest in baseball – while relying on their uncanny depth, and yes, those homegrown kids.
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Who would have imagined that their current starting rotation would include Eric Lauer, Justin Wrobleski and Emmet Sheehan? Their 7-8-9 hitters in the starting lineup Tuesday would be Ryan Ward, Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland? And that Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt and Will Klein would be used in relief?
No wonder Roberts believes this is the deepest team he’s had in his tenure, a sentiment echoed by several Dodger veterans.
“The way they constructed the roster in this organization deserves a lot of credit,” Rojas said. “It’s not just buying the players and spending money on players, it’s having Plan B’s and C’s behind them, and that’s where I feel the organization is not getting enough credit for building a full team that is capable of sustaining so many injuries throughout the season and having guys ready when they get called up.”
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It’s remarkable that the Dodgers could have 12 homegrown players with only one draft selection before the 29th overall pick since 2017. They haven’t had a top-10 pick in the draft since 2006 when they selected a pitcher by the name of Clayton Kershaw seventh overall.
The Dodgers, because of all their success and luxury-tax penalties, have had an average first-round overall pick of 29.5 in the past 11 years, but continue to outsmart everyone in the draft with perhaps the best developmental system in the game. They have taken an 11th-round draft pick like Wrobleski and a sixth-rounder like Sheehan and turned them into regular starters in the Dodgers rotation, an undrafted pitcher in Dreyer into a high-leverage reliever, and catcher Will Smith, a 32nd overall pick, into a three-time All-Star.
“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.”
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Dreyer, 27, wasn’t even drafted out of the University of Iowa when the Dodgers signed him in August, 2021, and had him start pitching in the Arizona Complex League for all of 2022. The next thing he knew, he was making the Dodgers’ opening-day roster in 2025, remained in the big leagues all season, and was pitching in four games in the postseason without allowing a run.
“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.”
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When the Dodgers call up a player, they always seem to be ready to not only perform in the big leagues, but to be vital contributors to a World Series championship.
“With us bringing up so many guys, it allows them to develop and not get rushed,” Muncy said, “which is a really good thing when you look at it that they can plug in immediately and there’s not really a learning curve. When these guys come up, they’re ready. You know they’ve proven themselves. It’s just plug and play with us.”
And win. Over. And over. And over again.
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Enough to be the posterboys for MLB’s burning desire for a salary cap.
“People are always going to talk about us,” Muncy says, “and even when the CBA is over, they’ll talk about us. It is what it is. It’s for the union and the owners to worry about.
“Obviously, we have some say on what goes on, but at the same time, we’ve got to go out there and play and not be dwelling what’s being said about us. It’s not easy. You can have all of the money in the world, you can have all of the talent in the world, but you have to come through in the right moments.”
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And if you believe you could use just a little more talent in the second half, there’s a certain pitcher in Detroit who would fit in quite nicely in the starting rotation. Can you imagine if the Dodgers acquire Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, giving them a rotation of Skubal, Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Snell in October?
“They would go ballistic,” Roberts said laughing. “But we would have the prospect capital to do that. We are one of the teams that could do that with the Tigers.”
So, go ahead, brace yourself with the possibility, and then stick that in your CBA pipe and smoke it.
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers fire back at critics of LA’s big spending amid MLB CBA talks