The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers have had one of the best rivalries in baseball over the past few seasons. However, despite the animosity and entertainment their regular-season and postseason games have provided, results have been largely one-sided on a larger scale.
The Dodgers have won the NL West in four consecutive seasons and have won the World Series in back-to-back seasons. They are also currently projected by FanGraphs to lead MLB in wins. Meanwhile, the Padres are projected to finish below .500 for the first time since the 2019 season, which places them as the fourth-best NL team.
A couple of seasons ago, the Padres were seemingly giving out large contracts at the same rate that the Dodgers were. Now, there is a disparity. Despite making back-to-back postseason appearances and setting franchise records in attendance, the Padres lost Dylan Cease, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn in free agency. Meanwhile, the Dodgers added All-Stars Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz.
Manny Machado Shares True Feelings on Dodgers Spending
San Diego Padres’ third baseman Manny Machado was asked about the Dodgers spending over these past few offseasons. He said, “I [expletive] love it. Every team should be doing it. [Expletive] is [expletive] great for the game. I think every team has the ability to do it.”
Machado seems to be in the minority as most fans have become tired of the Dodgers spending. ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote, “And even still fans are tired — of the disparity and the fight to come. It’s understandable. It’s hard rooting for a sport whose asymmetry is a defining feature. The Dodgers win everything. Offseason. World Series. Offseason. World Series. Offseason. Another World Series?”
This is the second consecutive offseason the Dodgers have added All-Star talent after winning the World Series. Following the 2024 season, Los Angeles signed former Padres Cy Young pitcher Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract. Following the World Series win, pitcher Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, who were with the Rays in 2020 when they lost the World Series to the Dodgers, said “If you can’t beat em, join em baby.”
Manny Machado Season Outlook
Machado has been on the receiving end of two large contracts himself. Following a stint with the Dodgers in 2018, Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million contract, which was a record at the time. After his runner-up MVP finish in 2022, Machado threatened to opt-out after the 2023 season, but then re-signed with the Padres on an 11-year, $350 million contract.