RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesJul 11, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; FOX Sports analyst Alex Rodriguez talks before before the 2023 MLB All Star Game at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
While some fans and media believe the Los Angeles Dodgers are ruining Major League Baseball, Alex Rodriguez appears to be a fan of their spending.
After admitting he voted in Awful Announcing’s 2026 MLB local TV announcer rankings during an appearance on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York, the discussion turned to the current state of the Yankees, who have been ravaged by injuries and offensive struggles. And while the Yankees remain favorites to win the American League pennant, Kay asked Rodriguez about their biggest potential hurdle to a World Series.
The rich got richer at the trade deadline, when the Dodgers added two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. It reignited conversations about whether the Dodgers are good for baseball or will end up driving owners to continue their push for a hard salary cap during the current labor negotiations. And after Kay held firm that the Dodgers are good for baseball , Rodriguez agreed.
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“I think it’s great. You and I both would be hypocrites if we said it’s not good when we saw what happened in the ‘90s here in New York, what happened in ‘09 when Hal Steinbrenner flexed his financial resources to go out and get CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett and the year before we had Johnny Damon,” Rodriguez told Kay.
Rodriguez noted that the key to spending money is not making mistakes, suggesting that the $22 million the Yankees spent on outfielder Trent Grisham may have been a mistake. Similarly, the Dodgers shelled out massive contracts for Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz in the offseason, which have yet to pan out.
As a former player, current broadcaster and franchise owner, albeit in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rodriguez is in a unique position to weigh in on the Dodgers. It’s hard for Rodriguez to be against the Dodgers flexing their resources considering he signed a groundbreaking 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers in 2000 before playing for the Yankees during their peak spending era. It would also be hard for Rodriguez to rant against a salary cap, given that he’s an NBA owner with a soft cap.
If the Dodgers win their third World Series in a row after adding Skubal to a star-studded roster highlighted by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, the calls for MLB to fix its financial imbalance will grow as they head toward a lockout. But the Dodgers’ ability to play the role of the villain also undoubtedly makes the playoffs more compelling, which is why they’re still great for baseball.
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