A former MLB player supports the Dodgers’ quest for a super team

The Los Angeles Dodgers have achieved a large amount in the last 13 months. They signed a global star Shohei Ohtani to a stunning delayed deal in free agency, brought in more top talent and then went on to win the World Series in 2024. Now, LA is trying to restart the cycle. The organization returned to a good delay to sign the two-time Cy Young Blake Snell before extending Tommy Edman and re-signing Teoscar Hernandez. The cherry on top of an already cherry-laden cake was Friday Roki Sasaki acquisition.

Japan’s newest pitching sensation officially announced his decision to join the Dodgers on Instagram, settling for a rookie salary that includes a $6.5 million bonus. For the other 29 MLB teams and their fan bases, the news was probably distressing. However, perhaps that is an achievement in itself.

That sentence was not written in jest. Former MLB player believes Los Angeles’ extremely aggressive approach to the offseason should send a strong message to the rest of the league, one that essentially translates to adapt or perish.

“I think if you look at this Dodgers roster on paper, it’s in the discussion for one of the best rosters ever put together in the game of baseball,” retired infielder Trevor Plouffe told “Talkin’ Baseball.” “Either you think it’s really cool or you don’t think it’s cool at all, but it is what it is … A lot of people say it’s bad for baseball. I don’t think so. I think so. Then find a way to fucking keep up.”

Plouffe may be simplifying things a bit amid the Dodgers’ continued ascent

Owners of small-market football clubs probably have the means to invest more money in their product rather than maintain their meager spending habits. But if the Miami Marlins , Cleveland Guardians , Tampa Bay Rays or Pittsburgh Pirates go all out in free agency, are they guaranteed to see valuable upside during the regular season?

A better product should theoretically generate more fan interest. However, it cannot be denied that the LA market boasts significant advantages over most of its competition. Even if the Cincinnati Reds do everything they can to “keep up,” there’s nothing they can do Shohei Ohtani delays 97 percent of his $700 million contract. Yes, the Dodgers are fully justified in taking advantage of the system, but some teams don’t have a realistic opportunity to operate the same way.

The onus is on MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to address the massive wealth disparity. It’s baseball that has to “keep up.” Whether the answer is to implement a salary cap and floor or impose strict rules on delayed jobs, it is imperative that action be taken at some point in the near future. Change is long overdue.

The external frustration was already high, but it is reaching a boiling point the signing of Rocky Sasaki. None of that will affect the current reality of the situation. LA is one of the scariest super teams ever created. Until MLB gets the process right, this incredibly well-run and crafty Dodgers franchise will continue to use every tool at their disposal to pull away from the competition.

And no one can blame them.