2025 World Series: Five talking points when the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Toronto Blue Jays

The Dodgers are considered favorites to win this series, not least because according to USA Today,, external Their opening day salaries this season were $321 million (£249 million), dwarfing all but the New York Mets ($323 million).

That number would be even higher if Ohtani had not deferred all but $2 million of his $70 million annual salary — and that $68 million deferred amount is more than the entire wage bill for the lowest team on that list, the Miami Marlins ($67 million).

“Before the season started, they said the Dodgers were ruining baseball,” rookie manager Dave Roberts said after they reached the World Series. “Let’s get four more wins and really destroy baseball.”

However, a comfortable win for the Dodgers could strengthen the case for a salary cap – something Major League Baseball does not have, unlike the rest of the “Big Four” American sports (football, basketball and ice hockey).

Naturally, the players’ union is strongly opposed to imposing a higher cap. Naturally, MLB and team owners would want one. Even Yankees ownership wondered how other teams would compete, external Given the Dodgers’ spending.

And with the current collective bargaining agreement between owners and players set to expire in December 2026, the two sides appear to be further apart than ever.

Last time around, a hard three-month lockdown delayed the start of the 2022 season, and there is already speculation about whether the start of the 2027 season could be affected by the lockdown or even a strike.