"Signs of things to come began in 2020 with the 12-year, $365 million contract awarded to Mookie Betts, but even this was a unique situation. Friedman might have been more willing to make this deal not only because of Betts' talent, but also because he had surrendered assets to acquire him and didn't want to make it a one-year rental."
"Friedman acknowledged as much when he said the organization's current practices aren't sustainable over the long haul, according to Jack Harris of the California Post: And while the Dodgers "are doing some things that probably aren't sustainable, or we probably wouldn't do for 10, 15, 20 years," he acknowledged, the opportunity to capitalize on this current window has warranted such a drastic change in spending habits."
Over the past three years the Los Angeles Dodgers altered their team-building philosophy, moving toward large free-agent contracts for elite players. Historically the organization maintained high payrolls primarily through absorbed salaries from prior trades and cautious extensions, with Clayton Kershaw's 2014 extension predating the current front office. Signposts of change included Mookie Betts' 12-year deal in 2020 and Freddie Freeman's six-year, $162 million contract in 2022. The current surge in spending accelerated after acquiring Shohei Ohtani, which generated extra business revenue. The front office acknowledges these aggressive practices are likely unsustainable long-term but views the present window as worth capitalizing on.
Read at Dodger Blue
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