PEORIA, AZ — San Diego Padres All-Star third baseman Manny Machado, having watched the bitter rival Los Angeles Dodgers dominate the NL West – and enter the season with a payroll exceeding $400 million – not only declined to criticize the Dodgers’ expenditures, but praised the organization.
“I (expletive) love it,’ Machado said Sunday morning. “I think every team should be doing it. They’re figured out a way to do it, and the (stuff) is (expletive) great for the game honestly. I think every team has the ability to do it. So, I hope all 30 teams could learn from it.’
The Dodgers will enter the season with a payroll nearly twice as much as the Padres’ payroll of about $220 million, but Machado believes that a salary cap will hurt the game.
“I think our game is very good at what we’re doing,’ Machado said. “There’s a lot of money being made. Look at what’s going on with the game. The last five years, it’s been great.
“So, I think a lot of teams have the ability to do what the Dodgers are doing. We started it a few years ago with [late owner] Peter [Seidler], so everyone could do it. It’s just a matter if they want to or not.’