MLB's super team had a super weekend

Hey at least they didn’t get Juan Soto. Somehow the Los Angeles Dodgers, who did get pitchers Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott in their latest star additions, will have to try and repeat their World Series title without Soto. He went to the New York Mets.

But the Dodgers still had a pretty good weekend, getting Sasaki Friday and Scott, the former Oriole reliever, on Sunday. They were pretty quiet on Saturday.

But even when it came time to get a player who could only sign as an international amateur and would not necessarily go to the highest bidder and was, theoretically available to all 30 teams, the Dodgers got him too in adding Sasaki.

And keep this in mind. Sasaki, who is rookie eligible, could very likely bring the Dodgers a draft pick by winning National League Rookie of the Year or with a top three MVP finish. He is expected to be a Prospect Performance Incentive eligible player.

For this now great team, this all seemed to truly start rolling in December of 2023 when the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani for $700 million. And then we found out about $680 million was deferred. Say what?

A few days before they got Ohtani, they had traded for pitcher Tyler Glasnow. And then signed him to an extension for five years at $136.5 million.

Toward the end of that month of December they added Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto for 12 years and $325 million. What they got him too? Yep.

Last November they signed free agent lefty Blake Snell for five years at $182 million. When the calendar flipped to 2025, they retained free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández for three years and $66 million or as the Dodgers call it, lunch money.

Then they added Sasaki for $6.5 million of international money. They call that a tip on their lunch money.

So, they add Ohtani, Glasnow, Yamamoto, Snell, Scott and Sasaki and retain Hernández. Did we mention they already have Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts?

Now what? They sign Anthony Santander for $80 million to be their fifth outfielder? Or backup DH?

Per FanGraphs.com’s Roster Resource, their 2025 payroll now projects to be $369 million. The New York Mets are at $297 million, with the Phillies at $288 and Yankees $284. Roster Resource projects the Orioles at $156 million right now.

According to Sportrac.com, somehow their current payroll ranks just second in MLB:

$279.3 million – Phillies

$274.8 million – Dodgers

$273.4 million – Yankees

$260.6 million – Mets

Somewhere George Steinbrenner is probably smiling and saying he could get behind a team like the Dodgers. Even with these two outlets having a nearly $100 million dollar difference for the Dodgers. I think Roster Resource seems closer to me.

They have not totally cornered the market in talent, but the aisle with the most talent goes through Dodger Stadium.

Hey O’s fans guess what? Your team only plays the Dodgers three times this year (Sept. 5-7) and whether your team wins the division or makes the playoffs will not have much at all to do with them.

That is some good news right there.

Since 2013, the Dodgers have finished in first place every year but one - that was in 2021 - and they won 106 games that season to only get second place. But they have won 100 or more five times in the last eight years and that is counting the 60-game season of 2020 where they did play .717 ball and won the World Series. Did we mention they won the World Series in 2024 too?

Or that they have scored 800 or more runs four straight seasons? Or that since 2021 they lead the majors with 415 wins with Atlanta next at 382?

There are two more seasons for MLB under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. At one time the luxury tax seemed to slow the top payroll teams. Now, not so much. The deferred payments seem to help them circumvent the rules somewhat. 

Now what for MLB when the latest CBA is up on Dec. 1, 2026?