The Blue Jays need to save baseball

This is a common phrase that has been said by fans since the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to that absurd contract. In December 2023, the best player to ever play signed a 10-year deal worth $70 million annually. However, most of that money is deferred, as Ohtani will make $68 million a year from 2034 until 2043, with just over $28.2 million going towards the Dodgers’ luxury payroll.

The Blue Jays were in on Ohtani until the very end, but the two-way superstar signed with the Dodgers. It’s a painful off-season to relive, as was the 2024-25 off-season when Rōki Sasaki chose the Dodgers over the Blue Jays.

By adding those two players to an already stacked team, the Dodgers’ payroll sits over $350 million. Only two other teams have a payroll above $300 million: the New York Mets ($341.8 million) and the New York Yankees ($304 million).

Bigger market teams tend to spend more money, aside from maybe the Chicago White Sox. The Jays are no different; they aren’t quite the Cinderella team as the media has portrayed. This season, the Blue Jays’ payroll sat at just over $255.2 million, the fifth highest in the league. It also yielded results, as the Jays finished with a top-five offence in the league, which can beat opposition in a few different ways.

Still, they’ve been forced into this underdog position because, for the foreseeable future, the Dodgers will be the World Series favourites. There is a legitimate chance the Dodgers could end up being a dynasty. On top of spending boatloads on free agents, the Dodgers tend to draft well and make savvy trades.

This has been going on long before the Dodgers signed Ohtani, as they’ve finished first in the National League West division in 12 of the last 13 seasons. They truly are Goliath, but don’t forget, David beat Goliath. 

Just like the Toronto Raptors in 2019, the Jays have a chance to beat a juggernaut team from California. It’s up to the Blue Jays to save baseball.