The Dodgers are heading into the 2026 season with a jaw-dropping payroll pushing $400 million, miles ahead of the rest of the league. Unsurprisingly, that’s reignited the debate about whether they’re “ruining baseball.” And, as usual, the Dodgers haven’t exactly shied away from the criticism.

Last year, manager Dave Roberts even leaned into it, jokingly rallying the team to ruin baseball one more time on the way to another World Series run.

But when it comes to claims that the Dodgers are getting some kind of unfair help from MLB, the organization doesn’t really deny the advantage. GM Andrew Friedman, in particular, seemed happy to twist the knife a bit. He used the moment to rub salt over the wound of the other 29 teams!

“I am obviously biased. I think it is an incredibly lazy narrative… And you looked back 13 years ago when the Dodgers went bankrupt, and people don’t remember that. This is just a really, really strong organization right now, with incredible fan support. And so the feeling that our ownership group has is we have to fulfill our side of this, and we have to reward our incredible fans who come out 50 thousand every night.” Friedman shares via Foul Territory.

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Honestly, the Dodgers’ going all-out for their fans could be seen as a blueprint for the rest of the league. Very few teams are willing to spend at this level or push this hard to put the best possible product on the field. But brushing off the criticism against the Dodgers as just a lazy narrative ignores a real financial edge. Something they’ve benefited from since their bankruptcy more than a decade ago.

The Dodgers reportedly enjoy a unique advantage tied to a tax exemption built into their TV deal!

Well, because of how that deal is structured, they’re able to keep roughly $66 million more annually than other MLB teams. Because when the organization filed for bankruptcy in 2011, MLB agreed to lock in a fair market value for Dodgers broadcast rights. As a result, a large chunk of the roughly $334 million the team currently makes annually from its TV deal is exempt from revenue sharing under the terms of that settlement.

So when the Dodgers signed their massive 25-year, $8.35 billion TV contract, the revenue-sharing bill could have been much higher than $84 million per year. Instead, thanks to the 2011 agreement, that’s all they’re required to pay. Other teams, meanwhile, are handing over the standard 34 percent of their local TV revenue each year.

According to Friedman, the money isn’t lining owner Mark Walter’s pockets. It is reinvested into the team to give fans the best possible experience. And from the Dodgers’ point of view, that’s exactly why they feel justified in pushing back. He even questions whether other teams are doing enough to match that same commitment to their fans.

The Dodgers are yet to complete their offseason shopping

Despite all the noise surrounding the Dodgers’ spending spree, it doesn’t look like they’re done upgrading the roster just yet. Reportedly, a new trade rumor has Toronto sending José Berríos to Los Angeles in exchange for outfielder Josue De Paula, right-hander Jackson Ferris, and infielder James Tibbs III. That’s a pretty hefty return for the Blue Jays.

From the Dodgers’ side, the appeal is obvious. Adding Berríos would give them more pitching depth, something that could become increasingly important as the season wears on. And why not?

Berríos was a steady presence for Toronto during the 2025 season. He made 30 starts across 31 appearances and posted a 9–5 record. He finished with a 4.17 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, a solid 2.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and logged 166 innings.

Given how thin the Dodgers’ pitching staff looked after injuries piled up last year, the move makes a lot of sense. It’s another reminder that even with a loaded roster, Los Angeles is still looking for ways to stay one step ahead.