Ever since Jed Hoyer became the Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations, the team has tasted success a little less. Sure, they did end up picking their World Series win in 2016, but it’s been a hot minute. Plus, they have missed out on playoffs four straight years and even had a rather quieter off-season this time too. As if to mock fans or rub salt in injury, Jed Hoyer was caught defending the Los Angeles Dodgers. Well, LA is under fire for spending unlimited money in the last two off-seasons. Starting with Shohei Ohtani’s massive $700 million deal, plus recently they signed key players for massive contracts.

These are deals not even teams like the New York Yankees can afford. However, while most of MLB is probably busy complaining at the commissioner’s office, Hoyer is out there defending the Dodgers. He said their success is not just for their ability to spend money but also their ability to draft well, make smart trades also excel internationally. He said, focusing solely on LA’s payroll is a disservice to an organization that is, “running on cylinder.” Is he wrong? Not really. But his defense of the Dodgers isn’t sitting well with fans, nor with the insiders in MLB and David Samson, who spoke for a lot of people in his podcast.

David Samson calls out Jed Hoyer’s tone-deaf statements

David Samson didn’t mince words after he heard what Jed Hoyer mentioned in his defense for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now Hoyer isn’t wrong; the Dodgers are surely making savvy moves. They have the best lineup, or the superstar lineup, comprising the top baseball talents. However, admitting to that is not what a leader of another team should be doing. David Samson, because of that, called him out, saying, “Thank God Jed Hoyer is not my president of baseball operations—because he wouldn’t be for long.” He is clearly irked by the remarks given.

Samson took time to highlight the major advantage that the LA Dodgers have that he feels Hoyer almost glossed over. He mentioned that the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to make huge sums of money through their broadcasting deal with Comcast. Well, it is true. They make more than any other team in MLB with the deal they clinched for $8.5 billion for 25 years. It gives them an added $334 million annually, whereas the rest of the teams end up getting around $100 million every year from their networks max. Most teams are struggling to keep up due to declining sports networks.

So Samson is highlighting that the LA Dodgers simply have more to spend because of this. “As a president of baseball operations, what you need to be saying is we want a level playing field,” Samson mentioned, instead of defending the Dodgers. Plus, surprisingly, Jed Hoyer would even do something as such because LA ended up signing Tanner Scott to a four-year $72 million deal. They outbid the Chicago Cubs in the process. Meanwhile, LA is busy to make another splash!

Los Angeles Dodgers have no intentions of stopping

Right now MLB is in an uproar about the legit “bad boys” among them—the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, for them, it seems all these are just noise. They are busy still strengthening their already solid bullpen. Their latest move is apparently finalizing a deal with none other than Kirby Yates. The standout closer from the Texas Rangers dominated in 2024 with a 1.17 ERA and 33 saves. The Dodgers already have Shohei Ohtani, Tanner Scott, and Roki Sasaki in the pitching rotation. Well, they seem to be on a roll.

The deal isn’t yet public and official, but insider Bob Nightengale has reported that a tentative agreement has been reached between the parties. It’s just pending a physical. This deal is a clapback; it comes on the heels of the $72 million deal with Tanner Scott that has everyone talking. However, adding Yates, who is known to be stellar in high-pressure situations, is a no-brainer. This gives the team a strong footing during the late innings. Whether you hate or love them, they are making some smart calculated moves.

They are not spending without sense. At the end of the day, people and fans can be mad, but they are doing what every team should be doing. In fact, Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez, who just re-signed, said that more teams should follow the Dodgers. Because spending to be competitive is fun, plus it can only make baseball better.

Do you too think like Hernandez? Or do you feel LA is going overboard? Let us know!