A bunch of guys spent $2 billion to buy a baseball team. That's "billions and billions," if you're scoring. So yeah, they owe a bleepload of money.
The Dodgers have a hole at third base and they absolutely have to sign Justin Turner. They need someone to close ball games, and if that someone is not Kenley Jansen, either blood or treasure will be spent to replace him.
They'll trade for a starting pitcher -- and quite possibly an ace -- they'll make their annual adjustments to the bench corps, and they're going to trade for a second baseman faster than you can say Jack Robinson.
So what's changed? A story in the Los Angeles Times by Bill Shaikin is what's changed. A fascinating piece, to be sure, but ink on a page. While I can't affirm the theory, this looks to me like a narrative the club wanted out there as a sort of follow-up to the across-the-board raise in ticket and parking prices news. And as an excuse for not signing high-priced free agents over winner.
But they were never going that route anyway. They were never going to spend the better part of $200 million for the likes of Jason Heyward or David Price. Or Zack Greinke, for that matter.
The plan was never to splurge their way to a championship. While Los Angeles would've liked to have gotten more out of Josh Beckett -- and a lot more out of Carl Crawford -- the 2012 Boston blockbuster was always about making an immediate impact, and about adding Adrian Gonzalez. But it's not like the goal was to spend $250 million for a first baseman.
That one deal four years ago represents a quarter of the supposedly-alarming $1 billion outlay for player salary during the Guggenheim era. Subtract the clearly a one-time-to-make-a-splash thing and the remaining $187.5 million per year in payroll from 2013 through 2016 is in line with the Yankees and Red Sox. Still a ton, but not as ridiculous as $250 mil per.
The plan was always to rebuild the farm system to past glory. The plan was always to go young, pare payroll over time, compete for a division every year, and celebrate with the occasional World Series.
Four straight National League West titles isn't enough for this reporter, or for any Dodger fan I know. Not a one. But ownership has only had its front office of choice in place for two years, and its manager for one. Trust me when I say this: no one at Chavez Ravine is happy being compared to the Atlanta Braves.
They're going for a ring in 2017. Maybe not with Jansen closing, maybe not with Yasiel Puig in right field, but they're going for it. No aneurysms over what is only a $250 million payroll, please.
Chalk the debt management story up as a diversion and cancel the search for a forensic accountant. It's much ado nothing.
And remember, glove conquers all.
