With the signing of three-time All-Star reliever Edwin Diaz, the Los Angeles Dodgers have proven once again that their deep pockets will prevail in a sport devoid of a salary cap,  

However, will their model of success prevail in the future of Major League Baseball? 

MLB’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires in December 2026, and tensions are rising with the threat of a work stoppage occurring if new terms are not met. One of the main themes set to be discussed in negotiations will be the advent of a salary cap. 

“There doesn't appear to be much doubt about that,” ESPN recently wrote about talks concerning salary cap implementation. “Economic disparity has been a hot-button issue for decades. The crumbling of the regional sports network (RSN) television model, which led to several teams losing out on local media revenue, has brought that topic to the forefront in recent years.”  

“And the unmitigated spending of teams like the Dodgers and New York Mets has only exacerbated the anger from owners throughout the industry, who continue to claim they don't have the revenues to keep up.” 

The Dodgers — who hold the highest payroll in the league at nearly $246 million, according to Spotrac — will no doubt be affected by the possible creation of spending restrictions. However, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal expressed confidence that the club will be able to navigate any changes to the current model. Instead, he belives poorly run franchises will remain as they are. 

“Even if there is a salary cap,” Rosenthal said at the Winter Meetings. “We've seen this. The Dodgers are one of the smartest teams in the game. They're still going to be good. They're not going to be that limited. And some of the bad teams are still going to be bad, because they're not that creative. They're not that smart in the way they go about it.” 

“So, I said this before, I'll say it again, a cap would address some things for sure. And maybe in a way that would benefit the game, but it's not going to change the fortunes of franchises automatically. If you're not good in the NFL with a cap, you'regenerally not good. The Jets, the Cleveland Browns, they're not good. I don't know that the competitive balance question is really all that fair here. It's obviously part of it. And I've said this before, I'll say it again. The sport needs to do a better job of shrinking the payroll disparity. “ 

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