\u201cIt\u2019s terrible for baseball,\u201d Russo said during an appearance on the \u201cDan Patrick Show.\u201d \u201c\u2026 I mean, how many guys are you going to have them sign<\/a>? \u2026 Their payroll last year with insurance was over $500 million.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Dodgers theoretically aren\u2019t doing anything wrong. They\u2019re playing by the rules but the rules have to change. This is getting to be a joke.\u201d<\/p>\n Russo took exception to the Dodgers\u2019 use of deferred compensation, which has helped them bring in talents like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Blake Snell, Tucker and others in free agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe rules stink. They gave Ohtani all that money, but it\u2019s all deferred, so he\u2019s making basically $10 million a year,\u201d Russo said. \u201cThat gives them the best player in baseball at an incredibly low price, which means they can do anything they want.\u201d<\/p>\n The massive Tucker deal included $30 million in deferred money, bringing the Dodgers\u2019 total future compensation number well past $1 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t tell me it\u2019s good for the sport,\u201d he said. \u201cGood for L.A., bad for baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n Last winter, the Dodgers gave Snell $60 million in deferred money<\/a> as part of a five-year, $182 million contract for the two-time Cy Young winner.<\/p>\n![\"Dodgers](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP_Dodgers_Tucker_Baseball_42483-74594-0.jpg\")
Chicago Cubs\u2019 Kyle Tucker runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of Game 4 of baseball\u2019s National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Oct. 9, 2025, in Chicago. AP<\/p>\n