Dodgers President Dismisses Criticism Over Excessive Spending

Los Angeles Dodgers president and part-owner Stan Kasten defended the Dodgers’ spending over the past several seasons and explained the reasoning behind the recurring offseason splurges.

“The expectation always has been, and should continue to be, that we expect to contend every year,” Kasten said in a recent interview with the California Post. “We’re the DODGERS. All caps. It’s the kind of franchise we are. Historically, it’s what our fans expect and what they deserve. And we will always be trying to deliver that.”

“…The strength of our marketplace provides us with tools that not every market has. That’s well known. We’ve never shied away from it. In fact, we’ve done the opposite. We said, ‘We have a market that will produce for us and reward us if we do our job and do things correctly.’ … And that has been what has kept us going.”

Has the Dodgers’ Spending So Far Paid Off?

The Dodgers spending has been more than successful, especially over the past couple of seasons. Before the 2024 season, the front office made potentially the best signing in franchise history by bringing Shohei Ohtani to the NL West.

Since the unicorn’s arrival, the Dodgers have won two World Series with Ohtani as the centerpiece. He’s won each of the last two NL MVP awards unanimously and has only gotten better, finally showcasing his ability to pitch lights-out in 2025.

They also signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2024, and that signing may have won them the World Series in 2025. Yamamoto has been masterful since joining the Dodgers, and has only gotten better as time goes on.

L.A. continued their spending spree ahead of 2025, bringing in Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. Both players influenced the Dodgers’ postseason push last season and played a huge role in bringing a second consecutive championship to Los Angeles.

What Have the Dodgers Done to Stay Competitive in 2026?

The Dodgers haven’t made quite as many moves this offseason compared to the last two years, but the few moves they have made have kept them as the favorites for this year’s World Series.

Los Angeles signed the best relief arm, Edwin Díaz, and bat, Kyle Tucker, on the market this offseason.

With these two additions, as well as a few depth signings and pickups along the way, the Dodgers have set themselves up nicely to complete the first three-peat in franchise history in the coming season.