In wake of the most recent Los Angeles Dodgers signing of Outfielder Teoscar Hernández for one-year/$23.5 million dollars, baseball fans continue the conversation on whether the MLB needs a salary cap. The answer is no.
Many fans are upset that teams like the Dodgers can spend big money to get the best players who will likely become hall of famers, but what separates these teams? The need to win. Major League Baseball team owners show how much they want to win every season based on how much they are willing to spend on the best players.
Out of the top-10 highest payrolls in the MLB in 2023, 6 of the 10 teams were in the postseason competing to win a World Series.
The Texas Rangers, the reigning World Series champions, had the fourth highest payroll in the MLB spending$251,332,754. Big spending worked in their favor. Two of their biggest acquisitions in 2022, were Corey Seagerwho made $35 million in 2023 and Marcus Semien, ($26 million). Seager finished second and Semien third in the AL MVP voting behind Shohei Ohtani. Seager was the 2023 World Series MVP, won the AL Silver Slugger award for Shortstops and was All-MLB first team.
The Philadelphia Phillies had the fifth highest payroll with $245,419,295. Despite finishing short of the World Series in 2023 compared to their 2022 season, they still had a solid season. They finished second in the National League East with 90 wins behind the blazing hot Atlanta Braves. The Phillies had 6 players on their roster making over $20 million.
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to find themselves in the postseason because they have spent money on the best players like Mookie Betts ($27 million) and Freddie Freeman ($25 million). Both who finished in National League MVP voting behind Roñald Acuna Jr. The Dodgers had the sixth highest payroll with $240,278,296. Yes, they do struggle in the playoffs, however their regular season effort is not to go unnoticed. In 2023, they became the first MLB team with four straight 1oo, or more, win seasons.
The Houston Astros did struggle this season, however they found themselves in the postseason for the seventh year in a row after spending $237,107,748, ranking seventh in the highest payrolls. After re-acquiring Justin Verlander ($43,333,333) he made up 18.86% of their payroll. They had two players in the MVP conversation, one of those players being Alex Bregman ($30,500,000) who made up 12.86% of the Astros payroll.
The Toronto Blue Jays are still trying to find their way back to being World Series Champions since winning back-to-back World Series in ‘92 and ‘93. They ranked ninth after spending $214,630,885.
Lastly, the Atlanta Braves spent the least out of these teams, ranking tenth as they spent $206,239,131. The Braves went into the postseason as the best team in baseball. They crushed their division and crushed MLB records, but they were bounced out after losing to the Phillies 3 games t0 1 in the NLDS.
Dumping a bag of cash on all the best MLB players will not earn a team a World Series, ask the Dodgers. However, big spending gives a team a better chance of getting their foot in the door to make it to the postseason and when postseason baseball rolls around anything can happen.
Nonetheless, if more owners spend big, competing with other front offices, the discussion for a salary cap would not exist.
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