Andrew Friedman left the cash‑strapped Tampa Bay Rays about a dozen years ago to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the result has been significant organizational change, according to Alden Gonzalez. Friedman had built the Rays into a club known for analytics, player development and shrewd trades, and with new ownership in Los Angeles the Dodgers have become a juggernaut that has won the last two World Series and captured 12 of the last 13 National League West titles, the story notes.
The financial contrast between the clubs is stark. Dodgers owner Mark Walter has funded what Gonzalez calls the most expensive roster in baseball history; the team’s luxury‑tax bill was $169.4 million last year and, for luxury‑tax purposes, payroll will exceed $400 million this season. The Rays are operating with roughly $90 million on their entire roster and, despite that, owned the sport’s fifth‑best record while running one of the smallest payrolls, according to the piece.
On the field the teams are close. The Dodgers were 45‑27 and the Rays 41‑27 in the snapshot provided by Gonzalez, a gap of just two games in the standings as they prepare to meet at Dodger Stadium. Salary figures cited are from Cot’s Baseball Contracts and WAR data are from FanGraphs, the article states.
The Dodgers’ infield carries a combined salary of $87.25 million ($13.4M per WAR), with Freddie Freeman at first, Tommy Edman at second, Max Muncy at third, Mookie Betts at short and Will Smith at catcher. Gonzalez writes that Freeman and Betts are future Hall of Famers who remain productive into the first half of their 30s and help set the club’s culture; Muncy and Smith make a combined $23 million. Smith was the 32nd overall pick in 2016 and is described as arguably the National League’s best catcher.
Tampa Bay’s infield salary is listed at $8.31 million ($2.4M per WAR) with Jonathan Aranda, Richie Palacios or Ben Williamson, Junior Caminero, Taylor Walls and Nick Fortes. The Rays rely on pre‑arbitration players; Aranda and Caminero make less than $1 million and rank in the top 50 in OPS among qualified hitters. The 22‑year‑old Caminero followed a 45‑home‑run season and has more than doubled his walk rate this year, boosting his on‑base percentage, Gonzalez reports.
