The Los Angeles Dodgers roster welcomed a new addition in Teoscar Hernández and just like how they acquired two of the best
MLB.com's source revealed that the Dodgers signed the free-agent outfielder to the tune of a one-year, $23.5 million deal although the team is yet to confirm the news.
Hernández's 2023 season was not as stellar as his MVP seasons while the Seattle Mariners. At least based on his own standard.
The two-time Silver Slugger awardee recorded 26 homers last season, making him the 12th player in MLB history to hit at least 25 homers in each of the past four full seasons.
While many were surprised by the Dodgers' signing of the 31-year-old because of his below average posting in 2023, others ask how the Dodgers can continue spending huge money on players after their offseason moves.
It can be remembered that the LA-based team just handed Shohei Ohtani the largest contract ever in sports history after the two parties agreed to a $700 million, 10-year contract.
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After that, they signed his fellow Japanese Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year contract worth $325 million.
How do the Dodgers get to spend such an amount?
Major League Baseball has no hard salary cap and this is what allows teams to overspend for their rosters.
However, which is an obvious reason, the contract that Ohtani and Yamamoto signed will not be granted to them just within this season. Ohtani even had a contract term that makes it possible for the team to spend more in the seasons to come (more on that later).
Right now, Dodgers roster is only the eighth most expensive in MLB with the New York Mets repeating as the team that has the highest payroll.
The Blue Crew squad for 2024 is currently worth $181.1 million. Mets' is worth $225 million. Standing between these two's 2024 payroll comparison are the Philadelphia Phillies ($223 million), Atlanta Braves ($208 million), New York Yankees $204 million), Texas Rangers ($197 million), and Houston Astros ($194 million).
Dodgers still got the money to spend. How did this happen? Ohtani's deferrals.
Ohtani's unprecedented contract terms
Ohtani joined the Dodgers from the Los Angeles Angels in hopes of winning trophies. He hasn't won anything so far. He hasn't even reached the playoffs since arriving in the American league in 2018.
He is hell-bent on reaching far after the regular season that he decided to make a sacrifice by deferring $680 million of his $700 million contract. This means the Dodgers will only need to pay him $2 million for the rest of his contract years.
Ohtani will only claim his salary once the contract is done.
He will still get the amount he is promised but experts say it is a risky move as it opens up risks of higher federal taxes and inflation.
Highest-paid Dodgers in 2024
Ohtani is not even in the Top 10 of highest-paid Dodger next season. The one to take home the most is two-time World Series champion Mookie Betts, followed by Yamamoto and Freddie Freeman who will both earn $27 million.
New acquisition Tyler Glasnow is in fourth place with $17.5 million scheduled earning while Chris Taylor, who has been with the team since 2016 is in fifth place with $13 million.
Dodgers are making a splash and they're not done yet.
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