New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger shared their reaction on Los Angeles Dodgers’ whopping $412 million payroll for the 2026 season. The Dodgers have once again made a big splash this offseason, signing top names like Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz.
Tucker was signed to a four-year, $240 million contract as he was one of the biggest names in free agency this offseason. They also signed former New York Mets closer Diaz to a three-year, $69 million contract.
As compared to the Dodgers, the Yankees’ payroll stands at $338.7 million, third best behind as they come after Mets’ $377.8 million.
Bellinger, who signed a five-year deal worth $162.5 million with the Yankees in the offseason, appreciated the Dodgers for spending against their assets.
“It’s better what they do than having all these assets and not spending. I think that’s worse,” Bellinger told two reporters earlier this spring. “I would think it would be bad for baseball if they’re making all this money and they’re pocketing it and not putting it into the organization and they’re not putting the best product out on the field.”
Aaron Judge also expressed similar sentiments, acknowledging the Dodgers’ insane spending in a positive way.
“I wish a lot of teams found a way to do that,” Judge said.
Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Yankees DH Reacts To Dodgers’ $412M Payroll
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper admitted that the Dodgers know how to conduct business, learning from the franchise where they need to spend the most to create more revenue. According to Harper, those complaining over the Dodgers’ lavish spending are losers.
“I love what the Dodgers do, obviously,” Harper told reporters in February. “They pay the money, they spend the money. I mean, they’re a great team. They understand how to run it. They run their team like a business, and they run it the right way. They understand where they need to put their money into.”
Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ fierce rival Padres’ third baseman Manny Machado believes that all 30 teams needs to follow and get inspired from their NL West rivals.
“It’s f—ing great for the game,” Machado said. “Every team has the ability to do it, so I hope all 30 teams could learn from that.”
Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has no hard feelings towards the Dodgers as they are playing by the book.
“They’re not breaking any rules,” the Yankees’ DH said. “It is a good buzz for baseball. It’s not necessarily a great buzz for opponents. It’s not like you’re hyping for other teams to get better, but if you’re not breaking any rules, then anyone can do it. That does bring attention, whether good or bad, love and hate, and that’s also what entertainment is about. That’s the business we’re in as well.”
Despite what players believe, the voice from stakeholders of other MLB teams is raising their voice against the Dodgers’ way of spending as they are hoping to introduce a hard salary cap in the upcoming CBA negotiations.
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