The Los Angeles Dodgers enter play on Wednesday with MLB’s highest energetic payroll and loads of uncertainty about what may occur within the postseason.
The Dodgers‘ present 88-69 mark provides them a 1.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres within the Nationwide League West with 5 street video games left to play (two at Arizona and three in Seattle to complete the common season). Relying on how the Dodgers, Padres and Chicago Cubs all end, Los Angeles may discover itself anyplace from the third to the sixth seed within the NL postseason bracket.
Wherever the Dodgers end within the common season, it is virtually assured that Los Angeles won’t earn one of many NL’s prime two seeds. That is an enormous deal as these prime two groups robotically transfer on to the Division Sequence spherical with out having to play wild-card video games. It is an fascinating state of affairs for the reigning world champions and a workforce that was (on paper) constructed to not solely repeat in 2025, but in addition dominate as effectively.
Why are we right here with Los Angeles Dodgers?
Accidents and inconsistencies have modified how the Dodgers are considered heading into the postseason. Like each different NL workforce, they’ve their flaws … and people flaws may result in an exit earlier than the World Sequence.
It is a staggering thought for a workforce that presently has an energetic payroll of greater than $280 million (per Spotrac), greater than $14 million greater than the second-place New York Mets (a workforce that’s struggling simply to safe its spot within the postseason). These, by the way in which, are the one groups with energetic payrolls over $200 million. As a notice, the Chicago White Sox are on the backside of that 30-team record at simply over $18.6 million.
Offseason Los Angeles Dodgers investments aren’t paying off
This offseason, the Dodgers invested closely of their roster, signing seven gamers to contracts price greater than $10 million this season. Of these seven gamers, the most important funding this offseason went towards beginning pitcher Blake Snell, with a five-year, $182 million deal that included a $52 million signing bonus.
In 10 video games this season, Snell has pitched effectively (a 2.44 ERA in 55.1 innings), however the return on funding because of left shoulder irritation that saved him out for 4 months has not been there. Snell is a microcosm of the Dodgers‘ investments not paying acceptable dividends in 2025.
Reliever Tanner Scott’s four-year, $72 million deal has netted a 4.91 ERA and loads of questions on what his position must be after permitting the game-winning runs in Tuesday’s loss to the Diamondbacks.
Outfielder Michael Conforto’s one-year, $17 million contract has been an albatross as he has posted an OPS+ of 80 (100 is taken into account league common). One other outfielder, Teoscar Hernandez, within the first yr of his three-year, $66 million contract, is hitting simply .233 because the All-Star break and has turn into a defensive legal responsibility, posting -9 Outs Above Common this season.
Whereas Shohei Ohtani is motoring towards one other Most Helpful Participant honor and Mookie Betts is lastly trying like himself once more on the plate after hitting simply .244 within the season’s first half, there are many different causes for concern with the Dodgers … and plenty of of them are making tens of millions this season.
The Dodgers grabbed loads of headlines this offseason with their spending. Nonetheless, as October approaches, it is clear that titles aren’t simply received with large contracts and potentialities. Los Angeles must see its investments repay within the postseason, or it will likely be simply one other season that resulted in disappointment at Chavez Ravine.
