LOS ANGELES — Roughly 15 minutes north of downtown, ensconced within the shallow canyon of Chavez Ravine, is the model Major League Baseball franchise-envious critics accuse of ruining baseball. The fruits of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ naked ambition — Andrew Friedman, their president of baseball operations, has repeatedly said the goal is to create a new golden era for the historic franchise — are everywhere. An array of sponsors bought up every inch of sellable space at Dodger Stadium. There’s signage in three languages — English, Spanish and Japanese — demonstrating the club’s global reach. And the four-million-plus fans that took in games this season easily led the majors in attendance.
All of that helps fuel an astonishing Competitive Balance Tax payroll of $416.8 million that exceeds the sports first spending threshold of $241 million by more than what 14 clubs spent on their clubs, according to numbers compiled by Spotrac.
Furthermore, the Dodgers are outspending the No. 2 team, the New York Mets’ $341 million, by nearly the entire Miami Marlins payroll. Further back at third are the New York Yankees at $318 million, followed by the Philadelphia Phillies at $308 million. The disparities fuelled chatter that the Dodgers’ financial might is too outsized for the sport’s good and, surely just coincidentally with the collective bargaining agreement expiring after the 2026 season, has led to renewed calls for some type of cap system.
Regardless, matched up against the defending champions in the World Series, which is tied 1-1 ahead of Monday’s Game 3, the Toronto Blue Jays are not only trying to beat the Dodgers, they are also trying to join them.
Over the past two off-seasons, they’ve found themselves in the same high-profile pursuits of players, most notably Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaski, and both also were to differing degrees involved on Juan Soto, who took $765 million over 14 years from the Mets.
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Watch the Blue Jays in the World Series on Sportsnet
The World Series shifts to California as the Toronto Blue Jays look for their first title in 32 years against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Watch Game 3 on Monday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
The Blue Jays, at a disadvantage because of the amount of revenue they collect in the weaker Canadian dollar, are fifth in 2025 CBT payroll at a franchise-record $280 million. While they have budgets to work within and targets to hit, they don’t work under a firm number and can add as needed provided they can make a compelling business case. They accepted the same $700-million, 10-year term Ohtani demanded, tempted Sasaki with their package and ran out of runway on a reunion with Teoscar Hernandez this past winter, losing out each time for reasons that weren’t financial.
On so many fronts, then, they’re trying to both be like and take on the game’s most imposing giant.
“Probably our largest kind of focal point and biggest goal was to try to create a destination spot where our own players didn’t want to leave and where players from other teams wanted to come,” Friedman said as the World Series began, “and I think invariably we find ourselves going up against the Blue Jays a lot in different ways, and they have created that as well.
“I think they have done a really good job with their facilities, the way they communicate, how they help get the most out of players,” Friedman continued. “I think they have done a tremendous job. So for them to be here is not surprising at all to me.”
That’s certainly a different outlook than the narrative of free-agency’s perennial runner-up pinned on the Blue Jays in recent off-seasons. Competing for players is always a difficult task which doesn’t always come down to money alone and there will be time to discuss that in the weeks ahead.
But their remarkable run, first to an American League East title and now to the Fall Classic, is certain to recast their perception, to some degree at least, within the game. All the things they’ve pitched to free agents in recent years, for instance, now have proof of concept. Opponents have a full season of watching the way they play and camaraderie they’ve developed. And everyone around the game has now also seen the full power of both the local audience at Rogers Centre as well as the national market the Blue Jays have playing in Canada at work.
There is no need to squint in an attempt to see it any longer.
“I know people recognize how we play the game and how we use everyone on our roster and how we try to keep people involved — I think that can lead to some sustainability in terms of winning,” manager John Schneider said when asked what he hopes players around the game see in his team now. “Facilities are second to none. Fanbase, obviously in my mind, is second to none, when you have a whole country behind you.
“But more than anything I’m proud of the fact that it’s pretty clear what we stand for and what we think is important on the field,” Schneider continued. “I think we really showed that this entire season and this post-season. And everything that comes with it, from whatever you need to get better, we have. But I just like the fact that 29 other teams around the league can kind of pinpoint what we do well and how we do it and what we value.”
Getting to this point hasn’t been easy for the Blue Jays and maintaining it will be even more difficult, as the way the narrow 2015-16 window came and went shows. The team wasn’t as well-structured then and the leadership change that followed the 2015 season, with Mark Shapiro taking over as president and CEO and Ross Atkins being hired as general manager, led to significant organizational change that reshaped every aspect of the franchise.
Their performance this season underlines the benefits of stability long preached by the Blue Jays and the type of continuity the Dodgers have had under Friedman is one of the qualities Atkins points to when asked what he admires about his October rival.
“There’s an open-minded nature and Andrew has also kept a lot of staff members around — there is a commitment to his people,” said Atkins. “Obviously it starts with their ownership. They have continued to build upon really good resources. Those are all things I would say the Blue Jays are trying to do, as well. I do think the continuity is exceptionally powerful for organizations like Cleveland, like Milwaukee, like Tampa. Even when a leader is lost, they’re usually building from within, so that you can build upon the good decision-making tools that you have, you can build upon the values that you have. It’s the big changes where it gets hard to repeat success.”
Even though both Shapiro and Schneider are on expiring contracts with no official word on their futures, there’s expected to be stability on that front for the Blue Jays. With seven pending free agents led by star shortstop and franchise cornerstone Bo Bichette, there is sure to be some significant turnover on the roster, but they’ll go to market as a team on the upswing, very different than the outlook the past couple of winters.
“Getting to this point is huge because it shows what the organization is all about, the team is all about, the competitive nature and the resiliency here, the tightness of the group,” said pitching coach Pete Walker. “It’s become a very close-knit group, guys that pull for each other, guys that never give up. They get behind, they keep fighting. The pitchers and the position players seem to be extremely close. And it’s just been a lot of fun to come to the park every day.
“This started at spring training,” he added. “We went through an early-season lull but it never wavered. The clubhouse is always a great environment. Positive but on a mission to win. It was never about just being OK, being good. It was always, we believe in this team.”
Combining that with the best part of the Canadian experience, displayed at a national level on the World Series stage, reinforces all that. The Dodgers sell the experience of being part of historic franchise situated in gorgeous SoCal with all of its enticing trappings and in some cases there’s no working around geography.
But October has allowed the Blue Jays to showcase how life as one of 30 is an advantage, as opposed to a detriment.
“The crowds we get to play in front of every day are amazing and the support that this country has had for us, opposing staff members, players see it when they come to visit,” said Walker. “They know it’s unusual and I do think that the fanbase we have makes us better. … Seeing it and seeing what this country has to offer, what Toronto has to offer players and coaches, especially players, is really I think unmatched.”
Maybe, and if the Dodgers are ruining baseball, the Blue Jays are positioning themselves to help ruin it right along with them.
