The only wild thing about the National League West is how much the Dodgers spend as they dominate the division. Los Angeles has won the NL West 11 times in the last 12 years and appears to be a lock to win again in 2025.
The Dodgers’ creative accounting has made them Major League Baseball’s superpower. Nine times in the last five years, the Dodgers agreed to deals with star players where significant amounts of money are deferred. That means that large portions of salaries don’t have to be paid until well into the future, long after the player’s career has ended.
The primary example is Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract, in which $680 million was deferred. However, despite the deferrals, Los Angeles’ projected payroll is $308 million in 2025, according to Spotrac. Only the Mets ($312.9 million) have a higher base payroll.
Following is a position-by-position look at how money is spent in the NL West:
The Dodgers’ top priority this winter was to add an ace to their rotation. So, of course, the defending World Series champions signed Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, to a five-year $182 million contract. But the D-backs, NL pennant winners in 2023, shocked baseball by landing free agent right-hander Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract. No other team in the division invested as much in their rotation.
Three NL West teams are rolling the dice with their ninth-inning pitcher. The Rockies, Giants and D-backs have all anointed young closers who’ll make the major league minimum $800,000. The Padres, meanwhile, have Robert Suarez ($10 million) and the Dodgers have Tanner Scott ($12.8 million) pegged to close out games.
Four of the five teams in the division will pay a combined $5.1 million for their starting catcher. The Dodgers? They’re paying two-time All-Star Will Smith $12.9 million. The second-highest-paid catcher in the NL West? That would be Jacob Stallings, the Rockies’ 35-year-old journeyman making $2 million.
The Rockies, amid a youth movement, are at the bottom of the payroll totem pole. Michael Toglia, who slugged 25 homers last season, will make $800,000 this season. He’s not eligible for arbitration until 2027. Meanwhile, L.A.’s Freddie Freeman, the World Series MVP, will make $22.7 million. San Diego has also invested in first base. Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, acquired by the Padres in a trade with the Marlins last May, signed a $14 million deal to avoid arbitration.
Finally, a position where the Dodgers don’t win the spending game. Arizona’s Ketel Marte, the highest-paid second baseman in the NL West, will make $16.6 million in 2025. Actually, the two-time All-Star is the highest-paid second baseman in the NL.
The Rockies’ Ezequiel Tovar is the NL West’s best-fielding shortstop. He won a Gold Glove last season and will only get better. He also led the league with 45 doubles. He’s a bargain at $4.2 million this season, especially considering that the Dodgers are paying Mookie Betts $26.2 million and the Giants signed free agent Willie Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract.
The hot corner is loaded with talent and big money. The average salary for a third baseman in the NL West is $16.8 million. Ryan McMahon, the Rockies’ second-highest-paid position player behind Kris Bryant ($27 million), will make $12 million in 2025, the lowest salary in the division. The Giants’ Matt Chapman will earn $25.2 million.
The Dodgers lead the way again, with Michael Conforto getting $17 million and the D-backs’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr., a 2023 All-Star, making $14 million. Nolan Jones, another piece of Colorado’s budget-conscious youth movement, will make $800,000.
For a premium defensive position, NL West teams don’t spend a lot of money on center fielders. Four of the five teams will pay their starter the $800,000 minimum. The exception, as usual, is the Dodgers, who’ll pay Enrique Hernandez $6.5 million. Colorado’s Brenton Doyle, the two-time Gold Glove winner, has the biggest upside of any center fielder in the division. While the Rockies have had internal discussions about giving Doyle a long-term contract to avoid arbitration, nothing has materialized yet.
In Little League, the worst player was stuck in right field. Not so in the majors. The Padres will pay Fernando Tatis Jr. $20.7 million to man the position, and the Dodgers will pay Teoscar Hernandez $13.3 million. The Rockies? It looks like Sean Bouchard, who is finally healthy, will win the job. Or, possibly, prospect Zac Veen will force his way into the role. Whoever wins the job, the Rockies will be paying the minimum.
Ohtani’s contract with the Dodgers (10 years, $700 million) shocked the sports world. But there was much more to it than length and money. Most of his money was deferred. His annual cash payment looks like this: from 2024-2033, he’ll be paid $2 million annually; from 2034-2043 he’ll be paid $68 million annually (after his contract with the Dodgers expires). However, for the competitive balance tax (CBT), the Dodgers payroll hit will be around $46 million through 2033. Meanwhile, the Rockies will pay Bryant $26 million annually through 2028.
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