NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
The Los Angeles Dodgers head into the 2026 season looking to win their third straight World Series and, once again, they have added All-Star players to an already 40-man roster.
As a result, many people in the baseball world have complained about the massive spending Los Angeles is making on the open market. But there’s the other side of the argument: What do players on other teams think of the super team 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 during 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 found a way to do it, and it’s great for the game.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres looks on during warmups before the game against the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper shares Machado’s sentiment.
“I love what the Dodgers are doing, honestly,” he said this week at his team’s facility in Clearwater. “They pay the money. They spend the money. They’re a great team. They run their team like a business. And they run it the right way.”
The Dodgers enter the 2026 season with a massive $400 million payroll, although there are teams close behind. The New York Mets come in second 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 sixth ($257.84 million), and Machado and Harper have both banked massive contracts during their careers. Of course, these contracts were rightfully earned for both players.
WILL SHOHEI OHTANI PLAY IN THE 2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC?
However, Los Angeles took the spending to a different level, leading a group of baseball fans to say the Dodgers were 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 in the works with a salary cap debate almost certainly at the center of future negotiations.
However, Machado and Harper’s comments show how much players like to spend money with the Dodgers. As they both said, the Dodgers’ spending is what they want to see because, ultimately, it means their peers are getting the money they think they’re worth.
At the same time, small market teams are unable to spend like the Dodgers and big market teams do. This argument, however, is not one that Machado finds reasonable.
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies arrives at Citizens Bank Park before Game 2 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 this.”
Added Harper: “Every team in baseball has an opportunity to do the same thing. Maybe not at the upper echelon of money. But they can draft, they can expand, they can trade. I don’t know, I think a lot of teams can do that in baseball. And they should.”
Gomes was asked for his opinion on those who say the Dodgers are ruining baseball and, as expected, he isn’t worried about the outside noise.
“I don’t really pay attention to it,” he said, according to the California Post. “We don’t look from the outside. Validation is winning championships and building as good a team as possible 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 4 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Dodgers’ last major acquisitions were outfielder Kyle Tucker, who signed a massive four-year, $240 million contract, and closer Edwin Diaz, who signed a three-year, $69 million contract.
Los Angeles defended its title in a thrilling seven-game World Series battle against the Toronto Blue Jays last season.
