The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers missed the playoffs was in 2012. Since then, they have been infamously considered the standard for aggressive roster building. And their blockbuster trade involving Tarik Skubal has widened the gap between LA and the rest of the MLB clubs. While the majority of the baseball community vents frustration on their acquisition of the 2x reigning Cy Young winner, an MLB insider summed up the Dodgers’ edge with a brutally honest assessment. 

“The Dodgers have become a truly merciless organization,” broadcaster and analyst Fernando Álvarez shared via X. “And not just because they have the economic power to do so, but because they combine three elements that rarely coincide at the same time: resources, execution capability, and an absolute conviction to always go after the best available talent.” 

The Dodgers already have a deep rotation involving Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell, among others. However, injuries have limited the team. And they gave up on a tiny part of their top prospect to bring Skubal to LA. While Dodgers fans are overexcited, fans and executives from rival organizations don’t reflect the same emotion. In fact, many think the Dodgers are using their huge wallet to acquire all the big stars in the sport. 

But Álvarez argued that money alone cannot guarantee success. And his arguments make sense when you look at the New York Mets’ current season. They have a payroll of $350+ million, including taxes. Yet they are stuck at the bottom of the NL East with little to no chance of making it to the postseason. Even the New York Yankees have a payroll close to $340 million. And they haven’t been the same without their captain, Aaron Judge. 

That’s why Álvarez mentioned resources, execution, and conviction. While many franchises have the skills, the insiders argued that very few of them possess all three of these simultaneously. And that’s what put the Dodgers ahead. They simply understand how to execute the business of baseball. And he mentioned that the latest move shouldn’t surprise anyone. 

The insider praised Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ President of Baseball Operations, for his skills, influence, and aggressive decision-making that results in significant success for the club. But while acknowledging the extraordinary job done by Friedman, Álvarez addressed the frustration from the rival organizations. 

“From any perspective other than the Dodgers’, this kind of move generates enormous frustration across the rest of the industry,” he added. “However, the system allows it. And as long as the rules don’t change, Los Angeles will keep exploiting them better than anyone.”

Notably, a large number of fans from all over the baseball community haven’t been able to take the Tarik Skubal trade in a positive way. Many of them thought that this would only make the rich richer. And a few of the fans even exclaimed that the Dodgers acquiring all the big stars is why the league needs a salary cap. 

Instead of slowing down, the Dodgers ‘ owner, Mark Walter, said that they’re “going to make it so nobody wants to play the Dodgers.” 

While the fans, executives, and insiders argue whether they were right or wrong, the Los Angeles Dodgers stay on their track to achieve a three-peat.