The Los Angeles Dodgers shocked the baseball world on Tuesday with the signing of three-time All-Star closer Edwin Diaz. Diaz earned a three-year, $69 million deal to come to Los Angeles, which has drawn the ire of those critical of Major League Baseball’s non-existent salary cap. 

In an appearance on Foul Territory with A.J. Pierzynski, MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal broke down how a salary cap could affect the Dodgers and how the club will manage the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. 

“If you have a salary cap,” Rosenthal said. “You aren’t probably getting Edwin Diaz, right? So how do we keep doing this? I think you're right, AJ, about; they want to get this done before whatever new restrictions come into play when the next CBA comesinto play.” 

The Dodgers currently own the highest payroll in baseball at nearly $246 million, according to Spotrac. Before the move for Diaz came to fruition, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made it seem as if the team did not need to make a big signing this offseason. 

“Obviously, there's opportunities and potential opportunities to upgrade the roster,” Roberts said at the Winter Meetings. “And we're always kind of looking to do that, but there's really no big splash we feel needs to be made because this team is still focused and you know there's some talk about a three-peat, so this is a focused team.”  

Roberts has also expressed his support for the implementation of a salary cap with the condition that a salary floor is also created.  

“You know what? I'm all right with (a salary cap)," Roberts said during an appearance on Amazon Prime's "Good Sports." "I think the NBA has done a nice job of revenue sharing with the players and the owners. But if you're going to kind of suppress spending at the top, I think that you got to raise the floor to make those bottom-feeders spend money too." 

Clearly, the Dodgers were operating with the intent of landing Diaz now with the understanding that new restrictions are likely coming that may hinder the front office from pursuing a significant portion of the top-tier talent in the league. 

“There might not be a salary cap,” Rosenthal added. “But there probably will be, if not a salary cap, stricter luxury tax penalties, thresholds that maybe that would be difficult for them, whatever the case might be. So yeah, there is strategy in doing that right now and trying to get all you can before the CBA strikes.” 

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