Some teams invest in winning. Others complain about those who end up winning. Clearly, the Los Angeles Dodgers have chosen the former. Just fresh off the World Series championship win, they haven’t taken a breather. They already have creme-de-la-creme of baseball – Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, or Mookie Betts – but their acquisitions are persistent.

The Los Angeles Dodgers got Blake Snell and even Roki Sasaki. All of these led to the entire narrative of how they are the evil empire, bad for baseball, and how MLB needs a salary cap. Seems like they have struck a nerve! And what’s shocking is that even Commissioner Robert Manfred is in for it.

However, a salary cap seems counterintuitive, given that the same question from last time led players to protest. But the question is: Is this ask all about fairness? Or is it to protect one’s financial interest?

Well, Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper isn’t buying into the argument that a salary cap would even out the playing field. And he gives the best example: A comparison between MLB and NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs, for example, have dominated the NFL for years, but the league’s salary cap convinces fans that parity exists. Meanwhile, without a cap, even MLB has produced a wide range of winners.

“I’ve run all the numbers. Others have, too. There’s no data that shows MLB having more inequality and less parity than other major U.S. sports leagues,” Cooper mentioned. He added, “But if MLB owners renew their push for a salary cap in 2026, there will be a lot of fans who will be very receptive to that sales pitch.” Cooper feels the root issue isn’t the spending disparity but the revenue distribution.

Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and even the Kansas City Royals have reached the World Series. So it’s proven that winning isn’t just for the big market teams. The only problem is that some owners just refuse to spend, while some don’t. Cohen, for example, spent $760 million on Juan Soto. So the gap keeps growing. And if MLB follows the NFL’s footsteps, this debate won’t die down; it will just shift.

Instead of taking jabs at the Los Angeles Dodgers spending too much, the fans’ focus will be on the owners who refused to spend to the cap. It seems if fans buy into the idea of a cap fixing everything, the real issue of revenue sharing and owner spending habits will start getting ignored.

But are the Los Angeles Dodgers really “ruining baseball”?

The complaints against the Los Angeles Dodgers keep growing louder and compounding. And ever since they got Roki Sasaki from a team he was supposed to go to because that’s where his godfather is—the cry is loud. But Dodgers owner Mark Walter doesn’t see them ruining baseball or being evil for baseball at all. Walter told Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times, “I don’t think so.” And he isn’t really wrong.

Despite having a star-studded roster, their odds of winning the World Series is only 20-25%. There is a high probability that things won’t work out for them. And everyone has seen what happened to their pitching staff last season. Besides, the postseason is unpredictable!

Walter also thinks that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ aggressive approach is rather good for the entire sport. “We’re attracting more fans,” said Walker. He believes that they are getting in new viewers and increasing interest. And one cannot argue, there has been a boost of Japanese tourists who come in to watch just Shohei Ohtani. It’s a testament!

But yes, several teams are wanting the salary cap. However, the next serious talks won’t begin until the next Collective Bargaining Agreement is up for negotiation. In the meantime, they are probably planning for a blockbuster trade for the Cardinals’ star infielder Nolan Arenado.

What are your views on this salary cap factor? Share them with us!