Los Angeles Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman responded to the ongoing "ruining baseball" storyline that the baseball world is perpetuating.
The Dodgers have a massive $350 million payroll, according to Spotrac.
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It is by far the highest in MLB, and due to the significant amount of money they spent on building their roster, many around the sport believe the Dodgers are "ruining" the competitive nature of the sport by paying more than any other team.
The Dodgers went on a free agent spending spree after winning the 2024 World Series in an effort to create a dynasty, defending their title and establishing themselves in the record books.
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Friedman views the decision to invest in this core of players as a service to Dodgers fans, who will get to see their team succeed.
"Yeah, I mean, for us, it is all about our incredible fans and us giving back. What they bring night-in and night-out, the passion that they show for the Dodgers -- now, this is my 11th season and even on the road, the number of Dodger fans that are there and just the love that they have for this team, our job is to pour ourselves back into it and try to give them a team that can compete for championships, and that they can be proud of," Friedman said.
"And for us, that's our focus. Everything for us is about pouring back into our fans and that partnership that we have with them.
So, you know, that's our focus.
"So anything else that comes from it -- and obviously, I've heard a lot of it -- it's just not front of mind for us because everything is around how do we put ourselves in the best position to win now and also to win in the future."
The Dodgers managed to reach the World Series once again, but many of their free-agent signees are not on the roster due to injuries or lackluster performance.
Spending money on a roster certainly increases the chance of team success, but it is hardly a guarantee. The New York Mets, who boast their own hyper-expensive roster, failed to qualify for the NL Wild Card, while the low-budget Milwaukee Brewers roster secured the best record in the NL.