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<\/p>\nPHOENIX \u2014 As Major League Baseball prepares for another potential work stoppage next year, the spending habits of the Los Angeles Dodgers \u2014 and whether or not MLB should implement a salary cap or floor \u2014 remain contentious talking points between league owners and the players\u2019 union.<\/p>\n
But in the eyes of star players Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, the only thing worthy of a debate is why more teams aren\u2019t operating like Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI f\u2014ing love it,\u201d Machado told San Diego-based reporters Sunday morning, when asked about the Dodgers\u2019 spending. \u201cI love it. I mean, honestly, I think every team should be doing it. (The Dodgers) have figured out a way to do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s f\u2014ing great for the game,\u201d he continued. \u201cEvery team has the ability to do it, so I hope all 30 teams could learn from that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harper echoed similar sentiments from the Phillies\u2019 camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love what the Dodgers do, obviously,\u201d Harper said. \u201cThey pay the money, they spend the money. I mean, they\u2019re a great team. They understand how to run it. They run their team like a business, and they run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n Manny Machado said other teams should follow the Dodgers\u2019 approach to roster building: \u2018It\u2019s great for the game.\u2019 (Denis Poroy \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
The Dodgers dished out two hefty contracts over the offseason, signing top closer Edwin D\u00edaz to a three-year, $69 million deal in December before inking Kyle Tucker, arguably the best free agent in the class, to a four-year, $260 million contract in January. Tucker\u2019s signing enraged MLB owners<\/a>, with frustrations over the team\u2019s extreme spending reaching a boiling point. The deal further fuels the debate over whether the league should adopt a salary cap. Those arguments will likely continue throughout the season, with baseball\u2019s collective bargaining agreement set to expire Dec. 1.<\/p>\n But Harper, who is represented by mega-agent Scott Boras, argues that the Dodgers\u2019 success comes from more than their spending. The two-time National League MVP lauded the organization\u2019s infrastructure, citing \u201cunbelievable\u201d drafting and developing.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t look at this either,\u201d Harper said. \u201cLike they draft and they develop, and then they trade those guys for big-name guys, and they can spend the money. It bothers me when everybody talks about the Dodgers spending money. No, they draft, they develop, they do it the right way. They understand what it takes to be the best team in baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n