"Rob Manfred hates baseball", "Dodgers are making more money from him" - Fans react to MLB commissioner defending 2024 World Series champions

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred defended the Los Angeles Dodgers for their aggressive spending in the free agent market in recent years. The Dodgers have spent nearly $1.5 billion over the last two off-seasons while deferring large sums on the contracts, but Manfred doesn't think they are gaining an advantage over the rest of the field as they are operating within the rules defined by the MLB.

Fans lashed out at Commissioner Rob Manfred on social media for supporting the rampant free-agent spending of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They feel that under the current financial environment, only teams with the biggest payrolls have a genuine chance of winning the World Series.

On Thursday, Rob Manfred addressed reporters at a press conference following an owners' meeting in Florida. Manfred stated that the Dodgers are not ruining the competitive balance of the league with their unparalleled payroll, which currently stands at $353 million for the 2025 season.

"I don’t agree with that,” he said. “The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization. Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules. They’re trying to give their fans the best possible product. Those are all positives."

Fans responded to the comments from the MLB Commissioner on X.

"Rob Manfred hates baseball," replied one fan.

"Dodgers are making more money from him," posted another fan.

"He’s on retainer clearly," another added.

Fans raged on at Manfred on X.

"You made a rule so Steve Cohen couldn’t spend a ridiculous amount of money on the Mets roster without a penalty ! But allow the Dodgers to have a creative loop hole with all these deferred payments on huge contracts!" a fan remarked.

"Anyone can be a "well run organization" if you just dump money into a pay-to-win system," another posted.

"It isn't the Dodgers breaking baseball as much as it is Manfred himself," a fan noted.

Manfred has been MLB Commissioner since January 2015. He has introduced a wide number of changes to the game both on and off the field during his tenure.

Rob Manfred addresses spending disparity among MLB teams

Rob Manfred doesn't think the Dodgers have an unfair advantage over the rest of the league (Image Source: IMAGN)

During his press conference on Thursday, Rob Manfred revealed that he has constantly been receiving emails from fans raising concerns about the ability of certain teams to compete without a salary cap. The disparity in the spending capacity of MLB teams has become particularly evident, with the Los Angeles Dodgers splashing heavily in the free-agent market over the past few years.

"This is an issue that we need to be vigilant on,” Manfred said. “We need to pay attention to it and need to determine whether there are things that can be done to allay those kinds of concerns and make sure we have a competitive and healthy game going forward."

As per Cot's Contracts, the Los Angeles Dodgers 40-man roster payroll with the competitive balance tax is expected to be around $389.1 million. On the other hand, the Miami Marlins 40-man roster payroll is projected to be more than $300 million lower at $83.9 million.