The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of many few groups across the league the place cash isn’t a difficulty, however there’s a value the defending champions must pay this offseason.
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The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon defined how the Dodgers have been penalized this winter for exceeding the bottom luxury-tax threshold for a number of years and what meaning for LA’s pursuit of massive title free brokers reminiscent of star outfielder Kyle Tucker.
“Any group that exceeds the bottom luxury-tax threshold for 3 or extra consecutive years pays a 50 % penalty for each greenback it goes above,” Rosenthal and Sammon wrote. “Any group that exceeds the bottom threshold by $60 million or extra pays an extra 60 % surcharge.
“The Los Angeles Dodgers qualify on each counts, so their penalty for signing Tucker or any of the opposite remaining free brokers could be 110 %. At a $40 million AAV, Tucker would price them $84 million. At a $35 million AAV, the quantity could be a mere $73.5 million.”
The Dodgers don’t appear to thoughts paying greater than double the worth for giant title free brokers as a result of the entrance workplace already snagged baseball’s finest nearer. The Dodgers signed nearer Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal.
Diaz, who is ready to earn $21.1 million per yr after deferrals, will really price the Dodgers a complete of $44.3 million yearly. Subsequently, it seems the defending champions received’t let the 110 % penalty value deter the group from bettering over the winter.
In November, Dodgers proprietor Mark Walter made it clear the group was targeted on returning to the Fall Traditional in 2026.
“All I’ve to say to you is, we’ll be again subsequent yr,” Walter mentioned through the Dodgers’ World Sequence celebration at Dodger Stadium.
Walter fairly actually put his cash the place his mouth is because the Dodgers landed Diaz with out wincing on the ridiculous price ticket. Might the Dodgers make yet another massive transfer earlier than the season begins?
LA has been linked to 2 of the largest names on the free agent market in star outfielder Kyle Tucker and star infielder Bo Bichette. The Toronto Blue Jays are thought-about the favourite to land Tucker, but when they fall out of the race, the outfielder might very effectively find yourself donning Dodger blue by 2026.
Extra information: MLB Insider Sends Warning on Dodgers’ Offseason Plans
Photograph Credit score: David Banks-Imagn Photographs
