In breaking news that seems as surprising as the sun rising in the east, the Los Angeles Dodgers doled out another nine figure contract to sign one of the biggest free agents in baseball.
This time it was former Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker who signed a 4-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers to join the All-Star lineup of the back-to-back World Series champions.
With the Dodgers signing yet another star free agent to a huge deal, it again raises concerns about the widening canyon between the haves and the have nots and whether or not it will lead Major League Baseball to a breaking point. The centerpiece of upcoming labor negotiations is increasingly likely to address this issue, potentially with the implementation of a salary cap.
But Colin Cowherd doesn’t see the Dodgers’ big spending as a detriment to the overall health of baseball, rather he sees it as a bonus. The Fox Sports host cites increasing playoff and World Series ratings with the Dodgers’ recent dominance.
Regarding Kyle Tucker deal w LA. 1.) Playoff & WS ratings have been UP w the Dodgers dominance. 2.) Yankee fans loved owning the hot stove signings w George Steinbrenner leading the charge. Never once heard fans calling WFAN that were deeply concerned about the sport’s balance.
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) January 16, 2026
MLB playoff ratings in 2025 saw a significant surge, reaching their highest levels since 2017, a 28% jump from the previous year, driven by a record seven winner-take-all games with Game 7 of the WS drawing a massive 51 million combined viewers across US, Canada, and Japan. 🤷🏼♂️
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) January 16, 2026
Added note — yes Kyle Tucker moved to LA but the Cubs signed 2 studs —Alex Bregman & Edward Cerbrera. Those moves clearly improve Chicago. Also, Yankees adding Ryan Weathers to bolster their staff, seems like a plus move. Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees improving is NEVER bad for MLB.
— Colin Cowherd (@colincowherd) January 16, 2026
It’s true that MLB has been experiencing ratings growth in recent years. Game 7 of the 2025 World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays was the most watched baseball game since 2017. Viewership and attendance have been up across the board in recent years thanks to positive changes around the speed of the game.
Dynasties are generally good for business, especially when they have stars to sell, and the Dodgers are no exception. But what’s not healthy is having a sizable percentage of the league choosing to not spend and not compete while a few splash cash freely. That is compounded when one team considerably outspends all the others and scoops up all the talent. Ask German Bundesliga fans how exciting it is to watch Bayern Munich win 12 out of 13 titles.
Things may be looking healthy for MLB at the moment, but it’s a delicate balance between allowing dynasties to be formed and giving every fanbase the hope that they can one day compete too.
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