No one can deny that the Dodgers are changing the way baseball is played—but is their approach good or bad for the game’s future? First baseman Freddie Freeman recently weighed in on the debate, offering his take on what some see as a growing concern. For those out of the loop, the Dodgers are set to shell out over half a billion dollars in luxury taxes and player salaries for the 2025 season. Their expected $138 million tax bill alone surpasses the entire Opening Day payroll of 13 MLB teams from last season.

That number makes one thing clear—there’s a widening financial gap in baseball. But should the Dodgers really take the blame for it?

“There are some owners that have concerns,” the MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, said. Yes, the smaller teams are concerned about getting competitive playing conditions in the league. Their fans are also ridiculing the Dodgers for altering the parity. The Dodgers, based on their owner Mark Walter’s financial muscle, are going all guns blazing to get the biggest names on the team. Remember Freddie Freeman, Roki Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani, and Tanner Scott? Well, it’s good for a team putting such efforts into offering a great product for their fans. 

Freddie Freeman, in his interview with the DodgersBlue, also opined that the Dodgers strive to offer the best product for their fans. “I understand people can be mad at us, but when you’re here, they’re doing so much good work. To pour it back into the fans and put a product that people want to come out for six straight months, you never know what you’re going to see.” 

The huge money invested in getting the best players and better fan experience is all about creating memories among them. It is not about ruining baseball; it is about the other teams coming forward and offering the same. With the other teams still yet to catch the Dodgers in terms of payroll and other fan-centric activities, the latter is the favorite this year to get back the ring again. 

The favorite to win the 2025 World Series

The Dodgers are now at +275 to win the World Series again in 2025, after starting as +400 favorites to do so, according to ESPN BET. For reference, the team went to the postseason 12 times in a row. They even won two World Series in the last five years. That’s enough formidable for the other teams. Now that they are the defending World Series champion, the possibility of defeating them is even more alluring to rival clubs. Talking about their pitching division, the Dodgers got 3 Japanese pitchers, namely Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. They are projected to have 150+ strikeouts this year!

Having a two-way player like Ohtani is a cherry on the cake for the Dodgers. With Ohtani, the team is having a designated hitter along with an extra pitcher beyond their 13-man pitching squad. Which other teams got this advantage? No one. This year, it is also projected that the Dodgers might break the Cubs’ 1906 record of 116 wins in a season. Considering their rotation stays healthy, a consecutive second ring might be around the corner if no other teams pull up any miracle. 

The MLB is entering a new era with the Dodgers. If the game can flourish and expand further to newer markets, the Dodgers are the only way out. 

What do you think about the Dodgers being blamed for running the game?