Joe Kelly silences Dodgers detractors critiquing Tanner Scott, Roki Sasaki signings

Former LA Dodgers reliever and current free agent Joe Kelly, known for his fiery personality and unfiltered honesty, has once again spoken his mind — this time addressing critics of the team’s recent signings of Tanner Scott and Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki.

Last week, the Dodgers gave Sasaki a signing bonus of $6.5 million, while Tanner Scott agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract.

However, the signings have drawn criticism from some analysts and fans, who argue that the Dodgers are hurting competitive balance in baseball. Kelly, never one to shy away from controversy, went on a rant to address the detractors during Sunday’s episode of the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast.

"The people that complain are most likely people who don't work hard in life, right? The loudest people are often the ones who want a free handout," Kelly said (3:50 onwards).

Kelly went on to emphasize that the issue isn't about being a big-market team but about organizational infrastructure.

"(It's) all about the infrastructure. It doesn’t matter that it’s a big-market team. Every single owner in any kind of sport has a ton of money. That's not the point."

He also pushed back on calls for salary caps and claims of an uneven playing field.

"All these guys are on an even playing field. People think there needs to be a salary cap or whatever — we can get into that — but the playing field is already level. You own a team, and you are level with the other 29 owners in the league."

"You all have billions of dollars to your name. If you want to argue that someone has a little bit more money, okay. If you don't like that, then have your buddy who's a billionaire come in and make a group."

Dodgers improved upon their World Series roster

The LA Dodgers once again came out as winners of the offseason, securing some of baseball’s biggest names.

After a transformative offseason last year — when the club signed Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow — the Dodgers kept their momentum going following their World Series victory.

The Dodgers started this offseason by signing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million deal, and 2024 MLB Home Run Derby champion Teoscar Hernandez to a three-year, $66 million contract.

They followed those moves with another marquee signing, securing international free agent sensation Roki Sasaki. Additionally, they bolstered their bullpen by landing Tanner Scott, widely considered the best reliever on the market this offseason.

With these acquisitions, the Dodgers strengthened their already star-studded roster, setting the stage for another championship push.