Don't curse the Dodgers! Did I do something wrong? The commissioner's defense, the Ohtani effect alone, is 10.9 billion, which is why the Yankees are jealous
Feb 20, 2025
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Manfred held an interview with local media in Phoenix, Arizona, on the 20th (Korea time) and expressed his position on pending issues such as the payroll gap between clubs.
ESPN said `Manfred will define the payroll gap as a major issue of concern across Major League Baseball, but will not commit to salary cap as a key agenda for negotiations ahead of the expiration of the labor-management collective agreement.'Juss has raised concerns about the payroll gap in investment, with five players signing more than $100 million in the last two off-season seasons, the report said.
But Manfred is "Juss went to market and did everything possible within the current system to maximize team power. "That's good for the Major League Baseball," he said. "I also know that fans and owners are worried about the Dodgers' ability to outmaneuver other clubs financially."
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In March last year, catcher Will Smith was tied for 10 years and $140 million, and in this offseason, FA Blake Snell was hired for five years and $180 million to strengthen the rotation. Although he gave only $6.5 million in the Sinning Bonus, he brought Sasaki Rocky, who is considered the best fire bowler of the NPB of all time, through a fierce scramble to earn the jealousy of rival clubs.
The Dodgers' investment stance is creating a side effect of further widening the payroll gap between clubs. According to Spotrac, an annual salary site, the Dodgers' payroll this year is about $392 million. It is the highest level ever, exceeding the standard for imposing luxury taxes by $150 million. The second place is the New York Mets, which is $321 million, with a difference of $71 million.
Of the 3.3 billion dollars poured into the player market this offseason, about 40% are attributed to the Dodgers and Mets. On the other hand, nine clubs spent less than $20 million, continuing the gap between the rich and the poor.
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The Dodgers' recent behavior is compared to that of the New York Yankees around the 2000s. George Steinbrenner, the father of current owner Hal Steinbrenner, was criticized for being called the `The Evil Empire' for his investment in sweeping star-studded players at the time. However, Manfred believes that the current Dodgers are different.
He explained "The Dodgers are earning more on a percentage basis than the previous Yankees, which means it can be sustainable, so it's a bigger problem." In other words, it could be a problem that the overwhelming market dominance of the profitable Dodgers continues.
The Dodgers' revenue structure is divided into broadcasting rights and marketing. In the case of broadcasting rights income, the Dodgers have signed contracts to secure broadcasting rights income worth $334 million annually over the past two to three years when other clubs have failed to sign contracts with local media. The marketing aspect is centered on Ohtani. According to Forbes, when the Dodgers recruited Ohtani last year, they enjoyed an income increase of more than $70 million (about KRW 100.9 billion) compared to the previous year by attracting advertisements in Dodger Stadium by Japanese companies.
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For this reason, there are calls for the introduction of salary caps, but the reality is that it is difficult for Manfred to solve the payroll gap problem on his own as the Major League Baseball players' union opposes it. Asked whether he would introduce salary cap in labor-management collective negotiations to be held a year later, Manfred said, `I will not explain what the answer is. There is still a year to go. There are many owners who strongly insist that we should reach an agreement on how to ultimately send it to the players' union. "I don't think it's desirable to start such a discussion publicly. No matter what we agree on, we will present a proposal during the labor-management negotiations and proceed with the work behind closed doors to reach an agreement."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
