The Los Angeles Dodgers are your reigning World Series champions heading into the 2025 campaign.
Los Angeles clearly has been busy. Despite already having plenty of star power like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers have been the most active team in baseball over the last two offseasons.
Last year, the Dodgers added Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Teoscar Hernández, and Tyler Glasnow among other moves. The Dodgers gave out over $1 billion in contracts and it clearly was worth it as the Dodgers came away victorious this fall over the New York Yankees in the World Series.
The Dodgers have such a high payroll that they now have to pay a massive $103 million luxury tax bill, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Ronald Blum.
“The Dodgers topped a record nine teams owing Major League Baseball’s luxury tax this year with an unprecedented $103 million penalty, and the $97.1 million bill for the New York Mets raises their tax total under high-spending owner Steve Cohen to nearly $229 million,” Blum said. “The World Series champion Dodgers will pay a tax for the fourth year in a row. The Dodgers’ tax payroll of $353 million included $1,032,454 in non-cash compensation for Shohei Ohtani, whose contract calls for the use of a suite for games at Dodger Stadium and an interpreter.”
Clearly, the Dodgers don’t really care about the massive price tag. It hasn’t stopped the organization from spending. Los Angeles landed Blake Snell on a $182 million deal and was in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.
Los Angeles certainly will pay the tax next year as well for the fifth straight year.