The part that gets mainly left out by the MLB talking heads regarding the Dodgers’ hate…

I’m legit curious on how the NL West, specifically, can get fixed from this…so I’ll try and lay it out as best I can. Yes, the Dodgers hate is already established as very real and gets talked about a great deal these days especially after the Skubal trade…but what the MLB talking heads conveniently always leave out is how the Dodgers got bailed out by Manfred during the McCourty bankruptcy and how the league really helped them become the $$$ juggernaut they are today.

The Yankees of the 90s or Mets of today, even…or any other team in the league.. have never been afforded that privilege…it’s exclusive only to the Dodgers. As much as the league tries to promote the Dodgers as…good on them…every other owner can do $$$ the exact same…but not a single team was ever pulled out of bankruptcy by the league and left to smell like roses.

The 2023 D-backs beat the Dodgers because they caught them at the right time. LA’s starting rotation was decimated, Arizona’s pitching was healthy and pitching lights out, and they capitalized with aggressive offense and baserunning. That’s not taking anything away from Arizona…it just shows how narrow the margin is to beat the Dodgers.

Since the Dodgers were pulled out of bankruptcy by Manfred…and given such a sweetheart deal…they’ve had financial advantages no one else in the MLB has: elite payroll, massive TV revenue, and the ability to defer huge contracts.

Friedman deserves a ton of credit, but he also operates with a luxury no other GM in the league has: virtually unlimited resources. Because they can buy elite free agents, they rarely have to trade away top prospects to fill holes. Other teams don’t have that option because prospect capital is their lifeline and future. Does anybody really think Kyle Tucker is actually worth $60 mil a year? Or how about you can let a reliever you paid massively to sit the entire 1st half of season and still survive without much worries…or even 3 starters from your rotation to boot?

Honestly, just name me one other team that could survive that kind of calamity and still be leading a division?

Imagine if your team could keep their top prospects year in and year out while still signing whoever they wanted in free agency. That’s the advantage we’re talking about.

So while in the NL West for example…teams like the Padres, Giants, and D-backs have to get almost everything right; health, player development, trades, and career years of both veterans & rookies…the Dodgers have far more room for error because of their financial advantages.

To me it’s quite an accomplishment that any GM can have keep relevant and competitive despite truly being in a David vs Goliath scenario. All these years because of all the advantages the Dodgers have had because of Manfred’s sweetheart deal from their bankruptcy…of which btw, no other team has ever been afforded (not the Yankees or Red Sox even.)

Until MLB has both a salary cap and a meaningful salary floor, plus severely limits on massive contract deferrals, the competitive imbalance isn’t going anywhere…especially in the NL West. Best case for every other GM in the division…is try to remain tight on the narrow line as best you can…because that’s all you really got.