MLB's villains or its gold standard? How the Los Angeles Dodgers got here

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a symbol of a widening payroll disparity that must be addressed.

The Dodgers employ seven players on nine -figure contracts, with five of those deals reached over the past 15 months .

The team's media deal represents a growing disparity that is rattling the industry.

But what the Dodgers have built feels uniquely sustainable, but they won't take it for granted.

The Dodgers signed Mookie Betts and David Price for Alex Verdugo , Connor Wong on Feb. 10, 2020 .

The Dodgers ' luxury-tax payroll dropped by about $50 million from 2017 to 2019 .

Freddie Freeman became a surprise free agent addition to the Dodgers in 2022 .

Dec. 11 , 2023 : Shohei Ohtani agreed to defer more than 97% of his 10-year , $700 million contract with the Dodgers .

The Dodgers won the World Series in 2024 with the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP .

The team won the NLDS in 2024 , then cruised past the New York Mets and Yankees to win the title.