After the signing of Kyle Tucker during the offseason, the heat on the Dodgers went up by so many levels. Not only fans, but even owners came forward and called out the Dodgers for their spending. But Cubs’ President Jed Hoyer has a different view on the whole thing.

Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, in an interview, asked Jed Hoyer what he thinks about the Dodgers spending so much in the offseason. Hoyer had no problem with it.

The Cubs President said, “They’ve made some incredible business decisions that have led to having a lot of money to spend on really good players… And so the way I look at it’s baseball.”

Jed Hoyer made it clear he cherished the time Kyle Tucker spent in Chicago and felt good about their relationship even after his departure to Los Angeles. Hoyer said Tucker shined early with the Cubs and helped carry their offense before the whole team began to struggle.

He also said that he’s “happy for him” after Kyle Tucker signed a 4-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers. Tucker’s big contract wasn’t cheap for the Dodgers’ payroll, yet Hoyer praised his chance to win and loved knowing the Cubs gave him a platform in Chicago.

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Although the Cubs couldn’t re-sign him, Hoyer still called Tucker a star and noted that any team adding him would improve.

When asked about the Dodgers’ payroll after they signed Kyle Tucker, Hoyer pushed back on the idea that spending large sums defines them. He said fans focus too much on payroll size and contract deferments, but the organization excels in drafting, international scouting, smart trades, and signing free agents like Tucker.

Hoyer’s point was that it’s unfair to say the Dodgers are purely buying their success because they combine spending with great baseball operations. He stressed that counting money alone ignores how well the organization operates on many fronts. Hoyer’s view is that this broader view gives true context to how Los Angeles builds its roster.

Hoyer also refused to agree with the narrative that the Los Angeles Dodgers are ruining baseball. He argued that complaining about the Dodgers’ spending amounts to owners preferring to keep more revenue rather than reinvest in the team.

Hoyer said the Los Angeles Dodgers invest in both present success and future sustainability. The team’s approach shows an aim to be competitive as long as possible with a core group that has already delivered back-to-back World Series.

He didn’t see that model as harmful to baseball, but as a valid way for a franchise to build its era. But Hoyer also pointed out that the Dodgers are not unbeatable.

Hoyer says that even with that strength, the Dodgers haven’t always dominated games. In the 2025 NLDS, Los Angeles beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 in games, with a tight 4-3 win in Game 2 illustrating how pressure can swing games.

In the World Series, the Dodgers edged the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 on an 11th-inning homer, proving championships still come down to tiny margins. These instances show that even an elite roster must grind through tight spots to win.

For Hoyer, these examples back his idea that baseball isn’t decided by money alone but by performance in clutch moments.

Hoyer drew parallels between the Dodgers and the dominant New York Yankees teams of the late 1990s, suggesting there’s nothing unprecedented about his spending model.

The Dodgers’ back-to-back titles mirror the Yankees’ three-peat run from 1998 to 2000 in terms of consistent excellence. Hoyer believes that even those Yankees teams were beatable in any given series. He wants fans to remember that dominant teams still faced close contests and tight playoff games.

That view softens the idea that the Dodgers’ success means other clubs are helpless. Hoyer’s message was simple in tone and backed by those margins: spend if you can, build well if you must, and remember even heavy favorites were once taken down.

The Cubs proved the point Jed Hoyer is making

Although it was just a spring training game, the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2, and the Cubs outplayed the Dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers brought Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Teoscar Hernández. Even with those regulars, they managed only 2 runs and 3 hits across nine innings.

Chicago pitchers struck out 9 and walked just 3 overall over 8 total innings. Colin Rea opened with 3 scoreless innings on 51 pitches, allowing 1 single hit. He ended the third by striking out Miguel Rojas. Ben Brown followed with 2 innings using only 27 pitches, and 18 were strikes. He allowed 1 hit and struck out 3 batters.

Javier Assad then covered 3 innings on 37 pitches with 24 going for strikes. He gave up 1 hit and fanned 4 Dodgers during the sixth through eighth. Together, the trio threw 8 innings on 115 total pitches and allowed only 3 hits.

Chicago scored 6 runs while leaving 13 runners on base and hitting 5-17. Brett Bateman drove in 2 runs after a nine-pitch at-bat in the eighth. Kane Kepley added a triple in the ninth to score after his leadoff double. Even after a late walk forced in 1 run for the Dodgers, the Cubs won the game by 4.

This just proves the point Jed Hoyer is making about the Dodgers that their payroll. If you have a good team and decent players who are ready to give it their all, you won’t need names like Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker to win games.