The Dodgers agreed to terms with Kyle Tucker OF for 4 yr/$240 M, $30 M in deferrals and Opt Outs after 2027 and 2028. I don't have much to say about this contract except it's a wild overpay in AAV for Tucker and the Dodgers don't care. MLB has a full blown competitive balance crisis on it's hands. If the point of the CBT is to produce competitive balance in the league, it's a complete failure. This must be addressed in the next Basic Agreement if not sooner. If it takes a hard cap to accomplish, so be it. This could get very ugly and is an existential threat to the game as we know it.
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$60 million per season? With opt outs? Nobody is worth that. Do we even still have a salary cap? This is crazy.
ReplyDeleteThe Dodgers should be embarrassed. I guess they followed the rules but even before this they were buying championships. The NFL’s salary cap may not be perfect but I at least it doesn’t allow teams to simply buy championships..
ReplyDeleteThis, for a .266 hitter with 22 HR.
ReplyDeleteThe Doges are outspending the next highest in the league by something like 25%. And they don’t care. You got that right. Until someone makes them stop, they apparently have all the money in the world (and can print more if needed.) and will take every advantage.
With the Kyle Tucker signing the Dodgers are projected to pay a record $169 mil CBT penalty for 2026 which will be more then 12 other mlb teams payrolls. Thats mind-boggling and that alone shows the CBT is not working to help competitive balance and needs to be addressed. The problem seems to be getting worse.
ReplyDeleteWith CBT penalties, the Dodgers will be paying $119.9 million per year for Tucker and he would need to produce 6 WAR per season to justify it, something Tucker has never done in his career. If any other team came up with this contract, it would have been a bad baseball decision but the Dodgers shrug it off. The new CBA needs to address teams spending like this or baseball as we know it could be gone.
ReplyDeleteWith luxury tax and salary the Dodgers are spending $600M this year. This is outrageous as Tucker gets his money up front unlike many of the other Dodgers' recent salary structures. (See Shohei Ohtani's contract). The Dodgers are making a mockery out of the term competive balance. When I play poker, which is rarely, you stay in the game by folding when your hand does not look as strong as another player's. So if you are the Giants, do you spend more to try and be competitive, or do you fold and build for the future? WTF!
ReplyDeleteIf baseball continues down this path, we might see some teams that are having stadium troubles start to think about relocating or folding. It might become too difficult for teams with aging or damaged facilities.
DeleteDuck the Fodgers.
ReplyDeleteI used to talk smack about including an * next to mentions of the dodgers covid title. Now MLB should just include an * as part of their team name. LA dodgers*
ReplyDeleteWhat is scary to me is that dominating MLB may not be the end game for this ownership group. Last June, Mark Walter, the controlling partner of the Dodgers, bought the majority share of the Lakers from Jeanne Buss. It might be harder for them to dominate the NBA because of the complicated salary structure but I'm sure they are working on it. MLB might need to look at how the NBA deals with salaries and salary caps and adopt something similar.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they the thought of owning the Rams crossed their minds but there is an ownership clause stating that an owner cannot own other sports teams in the same market. As such, they would have had to divest themselves of the Dodgers and Lakers if they wanted to own the Rams.
Of course there will be those who say “the Dodgers aren’t ruining baseball, it’s those teams that don’t spend that are creating the competitive imbalance- baseball only needs a salary floor, blah blah blah…”. Sure, my house has a floor, just like my rich neighbor down the street has a floor. Only difference is Moneybags Neighbor lives in a high ceiling mansion and his living room is larger than my entire house. I just can’t afford a bigger house. That’s just reality and it’s beyond my ability to change it on my own.
ReplyDeleteAmen
DeleteTaking names out of context (and baseball), is it a strange world when giants bow to dodgers?
ReplyDeleteIf there is ever a salary cap, a spending floor will also have to be part of the deal. I think that’s the biggest challenge. Many owners, or ownership groups, don’t want to even spend the minimum.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is likely a hard cap (which the union will oppose) plus a hard floor (which many owners will oppose).
ReplyDeleteIf they can’t make that deal then congress should pull the antitrust exemption.
Oh and duck the …,
After seeing the Bichette deal just come through, I think it's clear that the Giants aren't going to get a prime hitter with opt-outs. These hitters are going to look for places to but up equal or better numbers than before in order to potentially cash in on an even bigger deal in a year or two. To me, there's no way that they trade Eldridge at this point, given the amount of $$$ it takes to sign a top hitter. Pitchers, yes. Position players, no.
ReplyDeleteI hate the Dodgers like everyone else, but their ownership deserves a genuine doff of the cap. They plow essentially every dollar of revenue back into the organization.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a business strategy focused on growing the long term valuation of the franchise, not around short-term dividend checks. It’s much closer to a Silicon Valley growth mindset than the rent seeking model most baseball owners prefer.
MLB ownership is very conservative when it comes to the way they run their businesses. The Dodgers are showing everyone that they should be the model for how to build a franchise.
- Fan
Yeah, that approach works for Dodgers because they have access to huge revenue streams that other teams don't have.
DeleteThe Dodgers are but a part of the ownership group - it dwarfs the Giants ownership in money and diversity of investment.
DeleteThere is far more money in the Dodger ownership than the Giants.
The TV deal is structural, but that’s only part of the story. The rest was built.
DeleteA decade of sustained winning, paired with ownership that relentlessly reinvests, led to both financial and team success which has only compounded.
Here is an example of the compound growth. Ohtani didn’t just pick a big market he picked the best organization. And once he does, the Japanese players follow, the Japanese market follows, and the advantage widens with the rest of the league.
That isn’t luck or media money. That’s what happens when a team focus on growth rather than stable returns.
Remember the McCourt Dodgers were nothing like this at all and this ownership deserves a ton of credit for keeping their foot on the gas.
Like it or not the Giants ownership isn’t built that way. They are conservative when it comes to business.
- Fan
Yes, the Dodgers are a well run team but the the LA market dwarfs the Bay Area and they have access to streams of revenue no other team has and to their credit have taken advantage of it but that does not mean teams in other markets can replicate it. The Dodgers are not going in the red to goose the value of the team. They have their own operating margin and ownership is getting their divedend checks.
DeleteThis is where I get confused. The Bay Area is a uniquely powerful market. It is the economic engine of the country, if not the world. Soon, the Giants will be the only team in Northern California.
DeleteThe opportunity is obvious. There is enormous potential for revenue and sponsorships from the world’s biggest companies. Just look next door. The Warriors turned a recent dynasty into a massive jump in valuation, surpassing the Giants in a weaker league by successfully tapping into Bay Area wealth.
The talent pool here is also unmatched. The Giants could build a best in class, tech forward organization. But from firsthand experience, they do not pay enough to pull talent from neighboring tech companies.
It is frustrating to watch. I want to be patient, but the San Francisco Bay Area is a world class region of the world. I see no reason why we can’t have a world class baseball team.
- Fan
The Bay Area is not a uniquely powerful market. The LA market dwarfs it.
DeleteI ask this question: If the team that the Dodgers have played for the SF Giants would you be complaining? Honestly, I wouldn't be complaining just as I was OK with the Warriors having KD on their team. Somebody above said it is the teams that don't spend that are part of the problem, I agree. The Sac A's make money still due to the revenue sharing. LA is paying for the Kyle Tuckers to increase their odds that they win more World Series while they have Ohtani. They will continue to do that unless the rules change. As of now LA has not broken any rules.Their revenue supports the salaries they are paying. BTW-More people watched the WS from Japan last year than the US. My hope is that when they get to the playoffs, that they lose.
ReplyDeleteI have spoken up several times about my concern that the NBA appeared to allow players to collude to create "superteams" including the KD/Warriors saga. Maybe LA didn't break any rules but they sure bent them when they deferred $680 M of Ohtani's salary. And don't pretened that other teams have access to the same revenue streams that the Dodgers do.
DeleteMy answer to your somewhat inflammatory question is, "Yes." '10, '12, '14, Homegrown core. Supplemented by trades. Dodgers are buying it. Plain and simple. Transactional. Cold hard math. I'd take very little pride if Giants bought a championship. I know a lot people wouldn't care. But I would.
DeleteOhtani is in an unusual situation. He makes a tremendous amount of money by making endorsements of all sorts of products in Japan, so much so that he does not currently need the money he could make by playing baseball. In every Japan convenience and grocery store, you could see his likeness multiple times. This is what allowed him to defer a lot of his baseball money to be paid to him after his playing career. By then, he could move out of California and not be subject to the brunt of California income taxes.
DeleteOne northern California congressman (a Giants fan) was asked if this was legal. The congressman said that a lot of tech billionaires and other congressmen do it also so the chances are virtually nil that Ohtani would be paying the California taxes that he would ordinarily be paying. Blake Snell is doing the same thing but not to the extreme tactic that Ohtani is using.
The "collusion" was legal but the intent was certainly there. Ohtani's deferrals enabled the Dodgers to spend top dollar on Yamamoto and with Yamamoto and Ohtani on the same team, it was hard for Sasaki not to be tempted to sign with two other Japanese superstars.
DeleteDr B, do you think there are a lot more of those MLB ready stars in Japan or has the well been tapped out? I'm thinking that with the low projections for Imai and Okamoto, the best are already over here and future Japanese players will not be as good.
Ohtani is obviously a unique talent no matter what country he comes from. I suspect we will see a steady stream of good to excellent players from Japan for the forseeable future, but probably no more Ohtanis.
Delete1 Steve Cohen New York Mets $21.3 billion
ReplyDelete2 Rogers Communications Toronto Blue Jays $19.3 billion (market cap)
3 Marian Illitch & family Detroit Tigers $6.9 billion
4 Annette Lerner & family Washington Nationals $6.7 billion
5 Mark Walter Los Angeles Dodgers $6.2 billion
6 John W. Henry Boston Red Sox $5.7 billion
7 Charles B. Johnson & family San Francisco Giants $5.5 billion
8 Arte Moreno Los Angeles Angels $5.1 billion
T-9 Joe Ricketts & family Chicago Cubs $4.5 billion
T-9 David Rubenstein Baltimore Orioles $4.5 billion
11 John Middleton Philadelphia Phillies $4.3 billion
12 Ray Davis Texas Rangers $3.8 billion
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Wealthiest team owners above > Hmm
Richard In Winnipeg
Owner wealth is only part of the equation. The Dodgers have huge advantages in their access to revenue streams which means they can operate in the black despite the enormous payroll costs.
DeleteEvery ownership group is a different story. For example, Richard gives the example of Charles Johnson & family as being worth $5.5 billion. The Johnsons own about 25% of the team so ownership wealth is not totally based on the Johnsons. The Giants now have about 32 ownership partners of varying wealth levels and who own varied percentages. A website recently profiled biographies of all the members of the ownership group and there was one woman who they could not dig up any information at all!
DeleteAs mentioned previously, the Giants ownership group owns the ballpark, Scottsdale facility, Dominican academy, Mission Rock, and other properties. Other baseball teams own communications, money funds, and they may or may not own their ballpark. Back in the 1990's I heard that the Giants ownership group had the deepest pockets in all of MLB and now its probably the Dodgers and Mets but who knows?
Dr B Got the list front Front Office Sports website, number as at August 2025
ReplyDeleteRichard In Winnipeg
When you mention a situation where a core of a team is aging in lockstep, that seems like a situation that the Dodgers might experience soon. They will probably solve that problem the way they usually solve their problems but do you think it will be sustainable five years from now or if Ohtani suffers an injury?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a potential problem for the Dodgers.
DeleteDoc, your comments are spot on. The money the ball players are making now is spoiling my interest as a fan . I wish they would get payed money each year for the performance they did last year instead of giving a .266 hitter millions to sign a new contract. My eyes see nothing but a bunch of spoiled millionaires now taking the field. My Wish won't happen though. Bob in Dixon.
ReplyDeleteAs a Giants fan and Dodger hater for over 50 years this saddens me. But any true fan of the game (including Dodger fans who value the integrity of the sport as much as winning championships) should be worried about the direction this is going. The Dodgers are becoming a spectacle more than a team, a collection of the sport’s elite players, who will turn the 2026 season into one big barnstorming trip. If left unchecked they will continue to do it every season, and those few other teams who can will try to emulate them. Dr. B is so right in pointing out that the game of baseball is at a critical juncture that threatens the sport as we know it and are trying to love it still.
ReplyDeleteNo other team with the Giants resources the have is not spending money. It is so frustrating seeing the Giants just setting themselves up for another mediocre year. Yes....they have somewhat solidified position players the last few years with Adames, Chapman and the big boy last year. But they addressed two rotation spots with pitchers that either do not have solid track histories or have injury issues. The bullpen is going to require going to Mass every night and hoping they do not bring a can of gas to the mound when they come in. Are you telling me another year of Verlander is not going to be better than Houser and Mahle?
ReplyDeleteI almost didn't post this because even if there is some truth in it, it's a really tiresome narrative. I decided to post it so I could respond for the readership group to consider. 1. Buster and the Giants have proven they are willing to spend for the right players at the right price. When Buster considers what big-ticket free agents to go after I don't think he is only considering the upcoming season. Rather, he wants to build a sustained winner and looks at these players as a long term investment. He is looking for THAT player. I don't think THAT player is on the market this year. I also think Buster is dead set against any and all opt-out clauses, which most of these big signings contain. That may be a blind spot for him but I am pretty sure if we took a poll here the vast majority of us fans would say we hate opt-outs too. 2. I think Buster realizes that to build a consistent winner, at some point young players are going to have to be given opportunities to break through and break out. If he fills every hole with a short term veteran option, it still adds cost and it blocks those young players.
DeleteHaving said that, I think there is a balance where some of the holes are filled with lower cost veteran options and others are held open to give the kids an opportunity. I think the Houser and Mahle additions are solid and there is a good chance they both outperform expectations. They also buy time for young pitches like Trevor McDonald, Carson Whisenhunt and Blade Tidwell(what a great baseball name!) to get a little more salt.
As for other holes, intead of sulking and moping and conceding the season before it starts, why not look forward to breakouts from Bryce Eldridge and Casey Schmitt? I do think the two areas where Buster may look back and wish he had been more aggressive is right field and Closer, but the Hot Stove is not extinguished yet.
PS: We should also be celebrating the signing of Luis Hernandez and the move up from #15 to #4 in the draft order. I watched a Baseball American Video in which their guys were saying the Giants farm system is improved so much they are probably getting close to top tier and should continue to rise after the upcoming draft. So there is still a lot to be excited about as informed Giants fans.
Thank you Dr B for a rational approach. Also, we need to keep in mind that Buster is not making decisions in a vacuum. Decisions are made by a village, and that village includes Minasian, Evans, Barry, and Shelley. For example, you would have to think the Tyler Mahle signing was given a thumbs up by Bruce Bochy, who managed him last season. The Houser signing has Minasian's stamp all over it because they were with the Brewers at the same time. Barry is experienced with contracts so he knows how to close deals and knows when to back off. Things might not be flashy but the best way is to build up the organization, keep making good baseball decisions, and hang onto core values.
DeleteDepends on which version of Verlander you will get. The 2025 first half ERA was 4.70 and the second half was 2.99. He will be 43 years old. Also, Bob Melvin mentioned during the season that Verlander might be asking for a two year deal. He still isn't signed yet so he may back off a bit on his demands in terms of years and money. The $15 million he received last season seems a little steep for a 43 year old. If he signs with the Giants, it's fine. If not, it's also fine.
DeleteThere are many sides to the "tiresome narrative". The Giants probably could spend more but the question is if that would be a good baseball decision. For example, Kyle Tucker was linked to the Giants for a good part of the off-season because he could fill a hole in the lineup. But if he was asking for more than what the Mets offered him ($220 million for four years with a $75 million signing bonus), then Tucker would not have made sense when the contract comes out to $75 million per year PLUS CBT penalties. Tucker is an excellent player but not a generational talent and definitely not worth $75 million a year. The analogy is that I could buy a Rolex or I could buy a Timex. Both tell time but if the Rolex gets damaged.....
DeleteOne MoreChart. Doc.
ReplyDeleteRichard in Winnipeg > hope you can follow its from CNBC Business News
Rank Team Value Revenue EBITDA Debt as % of value Owner(s)
1 New York Yankees $8B $705M $7M 1% The Steinbrenner family
2 Los Angeles Dodgers $5.8B $701M $10M 10% Guggenheim Baseball Management
3 Boston Red Sox $4.7B $514M $71M 5% John Henry, Thomas Werner
4 Chicago Cubs $4.5B $528M $38M 10% The Ricketts family
5 San Francisco Giants $3.8B $533M $65M 4% Greg Johnson
6 Philadelphia Phillies $3.2B $528M $42M 4% The Middleton family, the Buck family
7 New York Mets $3.15B $446M -$272M 10% Steve and Alexandra Cohen
8 Atlanta Braves $3.1B $476M $7M 8% Atlanta Braves Holdings
9 Houston Astros $3B $499M $31M 2% Jim Crane
10 Texas Rangers $2.75B $446M $3M 25% Ray Davis
11 Los Angeles Angels $2.7B $398M $27M 0% Arturo and Carole Moreno
12 St. Louis Cardinals $2.55B $395M $34M 7% William DeWitt Jr.
13 Seattle Mariners $2.25B $383M $56M 11% John Stanton, Chris Larson
14 Toronto Blue Jays $2.2B $386M -$8M 0% Rogers Communications
15 Chicago White Sox $2.15B $315M -$15M 9% Jerry Reinsdorf, Justin and Mat Ishbia
16 San Diego Padres $2.1B $468M $79M 17% The Seidler family
17 Washington Nationals $2.05B $316M $10M 27% The Lerner family
18 Athletics $2B $275M $3M 10% John Fisher
19 Baltimore Orioles $1.85B $338M $44M 12% David Rubenstein
20 Arizona Diamondbacks $1.75B $351M $9M 7% Ken Kendrick
21 Milwaukee Brewers $1.7B $337M $29M 15% Mark Attanasio
22 Minnesota Twins $1.65B $356M $41M 24% The Pohlad family
23 Colorado Rockies $1.62B $328M $20M 7% Charles and Richard Monfort
24 Detroit Tigers $1.6B $328M $51M 10% The Ilitch family
25 Cleveland Guardians $1.55B $356M $33M 6% Paul Dolan, David Blitzer
26 Cincinnati Reds $1.5B $330M $41M 10% Robert Castellini
27 Pittsburgh Pirates $1.47B $329M $58M 10% The Nutting family
28 Kansas City Royals $1.45B $332M $31M 19% John Sherman
29 Tampa Bay Rays $1.4B $304M $33M 9% Stuart Sternberg
30 Miami Marlins $1.2B $296M $19M 38% Br.
Again, franchise value is not the same as operating income. The Dodgers have access to huge revenue streams which enable them to operate in the black despite their enormous payroll and costs.
DeleteI am sorry that my comment was the same old "tired" narrative. And I could not agree more, mixing in youth is good. But you cannot compete in the game when you do not have a strong pen or if you do not have at least 4 guys in the rotation that can give you at least 150 innings a year. I am not saying the Giants should follow the Dodgers blue print at all. But mix in a few vets that have solid backgrounds pitching in relief.....not all kids or waiver claims. For heavens sake, the Dodgers have All Star closers that are going to be pitching in the 6th and 7th innings because of the depth they have. Unless the Giants have a freak year like 2021 where EVERYONE had career years they are not going to be able to compete for a whole season as currently constructed.
ReplyDeleteWe need to get past comparing the Giants situation to the Dodgers. The Dodgers have turned themselves into the biggest outlier, possibly in the history of MLB. My comp is Parnelli Jones running 3 laps ahead of the field driving the turbine car at Indianapolis. We just have to hope there is a $6 gearbox in there somewhere.
Delete100% agree with Doc. It can't be understated; the Dodgers are currently printing money. RSN deal...with a ridiculous reduced tax burden (WHY????) In addition, they own SoCal. They own Japan. (honestly wonder if the Dodgers are outproducing the top NPB team in souvenir and apparel sales...) Their revenue stream is EXTREME.
DeleteThe Dodgers sell a lot of their gear through MLB Stores in Asia. Their brand seems to be popular with young adults and far more popular than all the NPB teams combined in Japan. "LA" is the new Coach over there and to be honest, those who wear the hats may not necessarily associate "LA" with a baseball team. "LA" is what Ohtani wears and it is more connected to Ohtani than the Dodgers. In the MLB Stores, about 2/3 of the displayed items are Dodgers, 1/3 are Yankees, and the rest or the teams are pretty much are afterthoughts except for the Angels (Ohtani's old team) and whatever team Senga, Imanaga, and Darvish are on at the moment. As Mojo says, the revenue stream is extreme and Ohtani makes enough money advertising Itoen Tea that he can afford to defer his salary until his playing days are over. The Warriors are starting to recognize how the revenue stream works and are dipping their toe in the Asian market and I believe that the Giants' latest trip to South Korea is an attempt to launch their brand in that country.
DeletePutting aside Tucker for a moment and fretting further about the Giants' rotation, I'm wondering why there's been no mention of Zack Littell? He was a very good middle reliever for the G's in the big 2021 season and has recreated himself as a pretty good, inning-eating starter for the Rays in the last few years. Not a strikeout guy but has really cut down on walks and would fit well at Oracle, I suspect. Generally projected at 2-3 years at $10-12M AAV.
ReplyDeleteI know he had a run-in with Kapler but it's hard to blame him for that. Buster caught him so obviously knows him, so perhaps there's a personality thing he doesn't like. Unless that's the issue I'd feel better about the staff if he were there, short of a big event with Framber Valdez or some such. Just seemed odd that I've seen no discussion about him.
"... at least 4 guys in the rotation that can give you at least 150 innings a year..."
ReplyDeleteDodgers top 4 starters pitched 173, 112, 104, & 90 innings or an average of 120 innings.
Gotta wonder how the Dogs did it with just 1 pitcher over 150 innings...
To their credit, the Giants usually do not publicly react to whatever the Dodgers do.
ReplyDelete