Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Stephen A. Smith defends Dodgers’ spending, calls out MLB teams for hoarding revenue-sharing money

Stephen A. Smith slams MLB teams for not spending.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers are spending like they’re playing franchise mode in MLB The Show, and small-market teams are spiraling. Every year, owners and fans of low-budget teams cry about financial disparity. Stephen A. Smith isn’t having it. He says the real problem isn’t the Dodgers—it’s the teams choosing not to spend.

Where is the money going?

“Other MLB teams have money as well; they’re just choosing not to spend and go for it.” —Stephen A. Smith

The Dodgers are at $393 million in payroll. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins are operating at $43 million. The Pittsburgh Pirates? $60 million. The Oakland Athletics? Barely cracking $50 million. The money is there. These teams just aren’t using it.

"How are you supposed to compete when [the Dodgers have] four or five times your payroll? —@MadDogUnleashed 👀

"Other MLB teams have money as well, they're just choosing not to spend and go for it." —@stephenasmith 😳 pic.twitter.com/052tQuNjEg
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 19, 2025

Revenue-sharing exists for a reason. Smaller-market teams receive money—over $400 million in total—to level the playing field. Instead of reinvesting, some teams pocket the cash. Bob Nutting, the Pirates’ owner, is worth $1.2 billion, yet he runs a roster with less funding than a mid-tier NHL team. The Athletics are moving to Las Vegas with a $380 million stadium deal, but their payroll is barely higher than the annual salary of Shohei Ohtani. The Baltimore Orioles are worth $1.7 billion but refuse to go after elite talent.

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo voiced the frustration: “How are you supposed to compete when [the Dodgers have] four or five times your payroll?” But let’s ask something better—why are billion-dollar teams choosing to run bargain-bin rosters?

Teams are choosing to hoard profits instead of paying players

MLB is the only major sports league in the U.S. without a salary cap. There’s a luxury tax, sure, but teams can spend freely if they’re willing to pay up. The Dodgers went over the threshold last season, landing a $103 million tax bill. Meanwhile, teams like the Oakland Athletics spent less than $84 million total.

That hasn’t slowed the Dodgers. This offseason alone, they handed Blake Snell a $182 million contract. They also secured Teoscar Hernández, Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki. That’s on top of last year’s billion-dollar commitment to Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

This is why players aren’t complaining. They want teams to spend.

“Teams spending money is never bad for baseball and never bad for players. Ever. In any situation.” —Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics

Even MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who has expressed concerns over competitive balance, admitted: “The Dodgers have gone out and done everything possible, always within the rules that currently exist, to put the best possible team on the field, and that’s a great thing for the game.”

Walker Buehler, who threw the final pitch of the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series win before signing with the Boston Red Sox, sees why players want to be in Los Angeles.

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“It’s a first-class organization… there’s probably four or five Hall of Famers on that team. I think it’s an attractive place to play.”

This has always been baseball. When George Steinbrenner built a Yankees dynasty by outspending everyone, nobody acted surprised. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Torey Lovullo gets it:

“They’re within the rules, they’re doing what they have to do to get the best players on the field… When I was a kid, it was the Yankees, remember? George Steinbrenner was going crazy with his spending, and it yielded World Championships. That’s what we’re all chasing.”

But spending doesn’t guarantee rings. The Arizona Diamondbacks, with a fraction of the payroll, swept the Dodgers out of the playoffs in the 2023 NLDS. Los Angeles is trying to build a dynasty, but history shows that money alone isn’t enough.

Max Muncy summed it up: “This sport is really tough. It doesn’t matter what kind of roster you have. Time after time, teams have shown that you get into the playoffs, and anything can happen.”

Image: Imagn Images

Los Angeles Dodgers

Stephen A. Smith

Natasha Bose

I write about sports because, well, it brings in the big bucks! I’m not some lifelong analyst or stats guru, truth being told, you’ve probably never heard of me!—I just know how to research, write, and make things sound good. That’s the job!
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