Rob Manfred Says Dodgers Is \'What System Allows\'
The Los Angeles Dodgers have outspent their MLB rivals by a considerable degree in recent years. That includes signing or extending five players to nine-figure deals this offseason. But MLB commissioner Rob Manfred won\'t blame the Dodgers for playing within the rules of the system.
\"Disparity should be, it certainly is, at the top of my list of concerns about what\'s occurring in the sport,\" Manfred said. \"When I say I can\'t be critical of the Dodgers -- they\'re doing what the system allows. If I\'m going to be critical of somebody, it\'s not going to be the Dodgers. It\'s going to be the system.\"
Manfred chose not to answer when asked if MLB will push for a salary cap when the next CBA is negotiated.
\"I\'m not going to get into what the answer is,\" Manfred said. \"We\'re a year away. I have owners with really strongly held views that I need to coalesce into a position that we\'ll ultimately take to the MLBPA. I don\'t think starting that debate publicly is a good start. Whatever we settle on, we\'re going to present in the collective bargaining process and try to handle it privately in order to get a deal.\"