Cubs president Jed Hoyer believes Dodgers’ success goes beyond payroll, calls it a ‘disservice’ to focus on their spending

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 but faced problems with a short-handed pitching staff with plenty of their starters unavailable during the postseason due to injury. They fixed that by signing Blake Snell to a mega contract and later got Roki Sasaki. Now they have broken the bank further, strengthening their bullpen by signing high-profile reliever Tanner Scott.

Their payroll after their four-year $72 million contract with an $18 million annual average value for Tanner Scott stands more than the $375 million luxury tax limit for the 2025 season. That is set to be at least $70 million more than the next-best Philadelphia Phillies if the club doesn't trade away any of their big pieces.

Certainly, most of the baseball community is not a fan of the deferred salary strategies that the Dodgers, especially under President of Baseball Operations Andrew Freidman, has used in recent years. It has allowed them to make signings like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, etc. and leave enough room to sign more players under the payroll limits.

While they have garnered hatred, Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer feels it is a recipe for success which is working for the team.

“Listen on the Dodgers, people focus on the size of their payroll and the deferments, and stuff like that, but it’s just a great organization that’s kind of running on all the cylinders. They do well in the draft. They do well internationally. They make smart trades. They do a good job finding value on the margins. And they also can go sign major free agents," Hoyer said at the Cubs Convention.

“So, I just think that focusing on the amount of money they spend does a disservice to an organization that’s running at a really high level.’’

Tom Ricketts compares Dodgers to the Yankees from three decades prior

Also at the Cubs convention, Cubs owner and chairman Tom Ricketts made his feelings known about how Los Angeles have gone about their job of building 'a fortress', referencing the team that is filled with superstars in every aspect of the game.

“Obviously, the Dodgers have done a really nice job of making good business decisions, making good player decisions,’’ Ricketts said, “and they built a fortress. That’s tough. But I don’t begrudge them any of that. It’s like the Yankees from 30 years ago or whatever, these things come and go.

The Dodgers' recent success has certainly acted as a pull factor to attract the biggest free agents in the sport. They have won eleven of the last twelve NL West titles and have 2 World Series during that span. With a better roster than 2024, a dynasty like the 1990s Yankees might be on the cards.