The Los Angeles Dodgers sure aren't lacking for money.
They dished out a three-year, $69 million contract to Edwin Diaz on Tuesday like it was nothing. He'll solve their biggest need, giving them a superstar closer.
That $23 million per year is a major payout for a closer. But on the Dodgers, it's just par for the course.
As of this signing, they now have seven players who will be paid $20 million or more in the season ahead.
MORE: How Aroldis Chapman is able to pitch for Great Britain in the WBC
Among those, Diaz ranks fifth, according to Spotrac:
- Tyler Glasnow - $32,500,000
- Shohei Ohtani - $28,216,944
- Blake Snell - $27,869,485
- Mookie Betts - $25,167,520
- Edwin Diaz - $23,000,000
- Freddie Freeman - $22,874,920
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto - $20,333,333
Of course, Diaz's numbers could actually end up being broken down slightly differently, but we used his annual average value to make this point.
These numbers also don't account for deferred money, like in Ohtani's contract.
They still prove a major point: The Dodgers will spend to win baseball games.
Clearly, it's working. They've won back-to-back World Series.
They've also dealt a sturdy blow to the Mets in the process by signing Diaz away from New York's own wealthy payroll.
The Dodgers need Diaz to be good, of course, but with so many high-end players, his performance is a little less crucial in L.A. Than it would be elsewhere.
MORE: Pirates made a record-setting contract offer to Kyle Schwarber