Harper Has No Problem With Dodgers’ $330 Million Payroll

He made the comments just before the Phillies handed the Dodgers their first loss of the season.

Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs towards home plate to score in the tenth inning against the Washington Nationals on Opening Day at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 2025. Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman, Bryce Harper, has no problem with the Los Angeles Dodgers shelling out big bucks on their players.

The Dodgers have a payroll of over $330 million, the largest in Major League Baseball. The magnitude of their payroll attracted significant controversy, but ahead of the Phillies’ series opener against the Dodgers Friday, Harper said that L.A. is an attractive market, so they will continue to attract top talent.

“I don’t know if people will like this, but I feel like only losers complain about what they’re doing,” Harper told media at Citizens Bank Park Friday.

“I think they’re a great team, they’re a great organization. That’s why guys want to go over there and play. L.A. is a great city to play in, obviously. They’re the Mecca of the world of everything, from food to nightlife to sports, from the Dodgers to the Lakers to anybody,” he said.

“They’re going to continue to get guys. They’re going to continue to pull guys from the sport. That’s bullpen, starting pitching, international players, anything like that. They’re doing what the Dodgers do.”

The Dodgers own the largest payroll in the MLB. According to Spotrac, LA’s total payroll allocations amount to just over $330 million. The Dodgers also own three of the largest individual player contracts in the league in terms of total value.

Pitcher and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract is the second-largest in the MLB; Shortstop Mookie Betts has the fourth-largest, a 12-year, $365 million deal; Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is tied for tenth with a 12-year deal worth $325 million.

The team has 12 players making more than $10 million per year; four of them make more than $25 million per year.

The Dodgers’ massive payroll has led to such significant controversy that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has commented on it. At a press conference ahead of the beginning of the season, he acknowledged fans’ concerns but stopped short of criticizing the team directly.

“I think that the Dodgers have gone out and done everything possible, always within the rules that currently exist, to put the best possible team on the field, and I think that’s a great thing for the game,” Manfred said.

“That type of competitive spirit is what people want to see. By the same token...it’s clear that we have fans in some markets that are concerned about the ability of the team in their market to compete with the financial resources of the Dodgers. And I think if we’ve been consistent on one point, it is we try to listen to our fans on topics like this, and I have heard people on this. Believe me, I get a lot of emails about it.”

Manfred also stopped short of engaging in public debate about enacting a league salary cap, noting that he has time to coalesce around a unified negotiating position between team owners and the MLBPA before the league begins working on a new collective bargaining agreement in 2026.

Aside from the massive payroll attracting stars, the Dodgers have had success in their international player pipeline, particularly from Japan. Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki all hail from Japan. The team also has a Korean player, Hyeseong Kim, in their minor league system.

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 11, 2024. Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

That payroll and pipeline have translated to massive success. The Dodgers won the 2024 World Series over the New York Yankees 4 games to 1. They entered the series in Philadelphia with an 8-0 record.

However, they suffered their first loss of the season to the Phillies Friday night, 3-2.

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner scored in the first inning, stealing third base then running home after an error by Yamamoto. Outfielder Max Kepler scored off a ground ball by second baseman Bryson Stott in the seventh inning; Nick Castellanos scored on a ground ball by Brandon Marsh to give Philadelphia a 3-0 lead through 7 innings.

In the ninth inning, second baseman Tommy Edman hit a homer to right center that drove Betts home to cut the lead to 3-2.