Dodgers: Trevor Bauer to make more than three teams in 2021

The Los Angeles Dodgers made Trevor Bauer the highest paid player in baseball for the 2021 season. His three year deal, with two opt-outs, will pay him $40 million for the upcoming year, with another $45 million in 2022 should he choose to remain in Los Angeles.

As impressive as Bauer’s salary is, it is even more impressive when compared to some of the payrolls around the majors. Bauer is set to earn more than three teams are currently paying their entire rosters.

Dodgers contract with Trevor Bauer highlights MLB problems

The Dodgers are going to remain as one of the teams with a high payroll. Their ownership has been clear that money is no object when it comes to pursuing a championship. Signing Bauer to such a high cost deal is just confirmation.

But that contract highlights one of the great problems in major league baseball. He will make more in 2021 than the entire Pirates, Orioles, and Indians rosters will as those teams are currently constructed. With the Pirates and Orioles in the midst of a rebuild, it is understandable that their payrolls would be lower. However, the Indians are dumping salary under the guise of the pandemic.

Major League Baseball has been viewed as a battle of the haves and have-nots over the past few decades. The discrepancy in payrolls has been a topic of discussion for years, even before Alex Rodriguez infamously had a higher salary than the Astros’ payroll. However, nothing short of a salary floor will fix that.

Instead, we will have teams that look to minimize payrolls as much as possible during their rebuilding process, not giving any type of pretext that they will contend. And that will continue to lead to situations such as Bauer’s, where the Dodgers’ newest pitcher will make more in the upcoming season than entire teams will spend on their major league rosters.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will pay Trevor Bauer $40 million for 2021. That is more than the payroll of three major league teams.