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The Los Angeles Dodgers head into the 2026 season looking to win their third straight World Series and have once again added All-Star players to an already stacked 40-man roster.
As a result, many in the baseball world have complained and complained about the massive spending Los Angeles is making on the open market. But there’s the other side of the argument: How do players on other teams feel about the superteam the Dodgers and general manager Brandon Gomes have been able to put together?
“I love it,” San Diego Padres star third baseman Manny Machado told reporters at spring training when asked about the Dodgers heading into the new year. “I love it. I mean, honestly, I think every team should do it. They’ve figured out a way to do it, and it’s fucking great for the game.”
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Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres watches during pregame warmups against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Bryce Harper shares Machado’s sentiment.
“Honestly, I love what the Dodgers do,” he said at his team’s facility in Clearwater this week. “They pay the money. They spend the money. They’re a great team. They run their team like a business. And they do it the right way.”
The Dodgers head into the 2026 season with a massive $400 million payroll, although there are teams closely following them. The New York Mets are in second place with a projected $368.3 million, followed by the New York Yankees with $333.25 million.
But the Phillies are fourth on the list ($311.18 million), and the Padres are sixth ($257.84 million), and Machado and Harper have cashed in on massive contracts throughout their careers. Of course, both players got those contracts legitimately.
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However, Los Angeles has taken spending to a different level, leading a group of baseball fans to say that the Dodgers are ruining baseball. The fact that the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026 makes things even more interesting, as an MLB lockout could be underway with a salary cap debate almost certainly at the center of future negotiations.
However, the words of Machado and Harper show how much the players enjoy the Dodgers spending money. As they both said, what they want to see is the Dodgers’ spending because ultimately that means their peers are getting paid the money they feel they’re worth.
At the same time, smaller market teams can’t spend like the Dodgers and big market teams do. Machado, however, does not consider that argument reasonable.
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies arrives at Citizens Bank Park before game two of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, October 6, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos)
“I think every team has the ability to do it,” he said. “So I hope all 30 teams can learn from that.”
Harper added: “Every team in baseball has the opportunity to do the same thing. Maybe not at the top echelon of money. But they can draft, they can develop, they can trade. I don’t know, I think a lot of teams can do that in baseball. And they should.”
Gomes was asked his opinion on those who say the Dodgers are ruining baseball and, unsurprisingly, he is not concerned about the outside noise.
“I don’t really pay any attention to that,” he said, according to the California Post. “We don’t look outside. Validation is winning championships and building the best team we can every year.”
Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman holds the trophy during a ceremony after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 in game four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ latest big-name acquisitions were outfielder Kyle Tucker, who signed a massive four-year, $240 million contract, and closer Edwin Diaz, who came aboard with a three-year, $69 million contract.
Los Angeles defended its title in a thrilling seven-game World Series bout against the Toronto Blue Jays last season.
