Dodgers win it all, and what it means down the road
- Dima Powell
- Jul 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 5
The Dodgers won a thrilling game seven against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto. The game was highlighted by Max Scherzer pitching what was rumored to be his last game. If that is true, he definitely made it a remarkable last outing, wrapping up a Hall of Fame career. Pitching four innings and a batter with three strikeouts and only giving up one run. The game then went back and forth with Bo Bichette hitting a massive three-run home run in the first. So runs in between the innings, then Miggy Rojas has his biggest hit of his career, tying the game in the ninth inning. Finalizing the game was Will Smith's solo shot in the eleventh inning to give the Dodgers the lead and the World Series for the second year in a row. While the game was great and lived up to the game seven hype, there is a lot that follows this World Series. A lot that will later either be resolved or become a big issue affecting the game for generations.
The Dodgers' roster was highlighted in the playoffs, really all season, due to the amount of money that was being spent on it. The Dodgers had a rounded number of 350 million dollars for payroll this season. The most in MLB this season, and they are already leading the way for the 2026 season with the contracts they have on a lot of their big-name players. The Dodgers know how to spend money, along with the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies. This is exactly the problem that has and will be raised about this World Series.
The MLB is the only major professional sports league without some sort of salary cap or floor. All other leagues, such as the NBA, NHL, and the NFL, all have money limits teams must follow. The MLB is a free game that only a few teams participate in. The reality is that only a few can participate. Due to there being no money limits of sorts, teams can spend as much or as little as they want, and players can ask for as little or as much as they want. There are no guidelines or limitations. This is a problem. The MLB needs to instate a salary floor and a salary cap. The World Series this year and the early rumor mill reiterate this. It is also worth noting that the contract between players and the league is up after the 2026 season. So the talk of money and what the league should look like is going to really start heading up soon. Let me get into why we need some limits in the leagues.
Hate the game, not the player. To an extent, this is accurate, and fans of big-market teams have been saying this. The fact that teams aren't required to spend some sort of money is a little wild. We are talking about multi-million, billion-dollar professional teams spending money equal to some change? No fan wants to watch a team that isn't invested in. The Miami Marlins are currently a few players away from being competitive, having a good team. Will the owner spend? No. Miami doesn't give out big contracts with big price tags. They will not go after Kyle Tucker or Pete Alonso despite needing a big bat like that. Bats like those would sell tickets, jerseys, and help the team tremendously, but they won't do it. Is part of this problem due to players wanting too much? Sure. Scott Boras is not good for the game, but he plays the game well financially for his clients. Regardless, though, there are teams that do not spend money. This has to change. A salary floor would require these teams to spend and invest in the team on the field, give fans something to watch, and give some teams like the Marlins a shot at being competitive, instead of just trading in a few deadlines and starting all over with no real excitement.
The other thing is a salary cap. The same teams can not continue to be in for the biggest names available every year. The Dodgers, back-to-back reigning champs, do not need to add the biggest bat this offseason. It loses interest of fans and hurts the sport. This goes back on players, though, as well. Stop always seeking Dodger or Yankee-level money. A salary cap would fix this. The big market teams wouldn't always be able to just throw money around and be in on the big names, giving other teams a chance. The players would also have to create a more realistic value of themselves, understanding that with a money limit, teams aren't going to pay whatever price.
The MLB is in serious trouble if something isn't done soon. Attendance and interest will go down, and that is the last thing the MLB needs right now. It is time we get some sense in the money department of the sport and make it a market that works for all the teams, not just those that can afford it. All while making those cheap teams spend some money.
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