Dodgers’ $400 million payroll draws praise from Manny Machado, Bryce Harper
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The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the 2026 season with a goal of winning their third straight World Series and have once again added All-Star players to the already 40-man roster.
As a result, many in the baseball world grumbled and moaned about Los Angeles’ big spending on the open market. But there’s the other side of the debate: What do players on other teams think of the super roster the Dodgers and GM Brandon Gomes have managed to put together?
“I love it,” San Diego Padres star third baseman Manny Machado said. he told reporters when asked about the Dodgers heading into the new year in spring training. “I love it. I honestly think every team should do this. They found a way to do it and it’s great for the game.”
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Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres watches during warmups before the game against the Chicago Cubs in game three of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on October 2, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Bryce Harper shares Machado’s thoughts.
“Honestly, I love what the Dodgers are doing,” he said this week at his team’s Clearwater facility. “They pay the money. They spend the money. They’re a great team. They run their team like a business. And they run it the right way.”
The Dodgers enter the 2026 season with a whopping $400 million payroll, but there are teams that are left behind. The New York Mets are in second place with an estimated $368.3 million, followed by the New York Yankees with $333.25 million.
But the Phillies are fourth on the list ($311.18 million) while the Padres are sixth ($257.84 million), and both Machado and Harper have earned huge contracts throughout their careers. Of course, these contracts were deservedly earned for both players.
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But Los Angeles has taken spending to a different level, leading a group of baseball fans to say the Dodgers are ruining baseball. The fact that the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026 makes things even more interesting; Because the MLB lockout could be in the works, with the salary cap debate at the center of future negotiations.
But Machado and Harper’s remarks show how much players the Dodgers enjoy spending money. As they both said, the Dodgers’ spending is what they want to see because ultimately it means their peers are being paid what they think they’re worth.
At the same time, smaller market teams can’t spend the way the Dodgers and big market teams do. However, this argument is not one that Machado finds reasonable.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper arrives at Citizens Bank Park prior to Game Two of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, October 6, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos)
“I think every team has the ability to do that,” he said, “so I hope all 30 teams will learn from this.”
Harper added: “Every team in baseball has an opportunity to do the same thing. Maybe not at the top end of the money. But they can draft, they can develop, they can trade. I don’t know, I think a lot of teams in baseball can do that. And they should.”
Gomes was asked about his thoughts on those who say the Dodgers are ruining baseball, and as expected, he’s not worried about the noise out there.
“I don’t really pay any attention to it,” he said, according to the California Post. “We’re not looking from the outside. The validation is winning championships and putting out as good a team as possible every year.”
Los Angeles Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman holds the trophy during a ceremony after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 in game four of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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The Dodgers’ most recent big-name acquisitions were outfielder Kyle Tucker, who signed a whopping four-year, $240 million deal, and closer Edwin Diaz, who joined the team on a three-year, $69 million contract.
Los Angeles defended its championship in a thrilling seven-game World Series match against the Toronto Blue Jays last season.
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