Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes critics of the two-time reigning World Series champions are making excuses because their own teams aren't doing enough to be successful.
"My honest opinion is the majority of takes about the Dodgers couldn't be more lazy," Roberts told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "That it's just about the payroll. It's about the draft. It's about layering on where we pick in the draft annually. The player development. How we acquire international talent. How we perform consistently at the major-league level.
"I actually think it's a competitive advantage in the sense that people feel that way and not look at themselves in the mirror and see how they can operate things better. So, that's beneficial for us."
Roberts also acknowledged the financial might of the Dodgers, who field baseball's most expensive roster at over $420 million, though he asserts that it's not the only reason L.A. wins consistently.
"Having the payroll and the depth that gives you certainly is a benefit," the 54-year-old said. "No one's debating that. But I do think that the players we acquire, how we play the game every night, getting younger players to assimilate in a star-studded clubhouse, that's important. That's hard to quantify, but that's of value."
The Dodgers' desire and means to outspend everybody, along with their subsequent success, have led to competitive balance being the focal point in a looming labor war between MLB and the players' association. The league is pushing for a salary cap amid negotiations.
"People are always going to talk about us," third baseman Max Muncy said. "And even when the CBA is over, they'll talk about us. It is what it is. It's for the union and the owners to worry about.
"Obviously, we have some say on what goes on, but at the same time, we've got to go out there and play and not be dwelling what's being said about us. It's not easy. You can have all of the money in the world, you can have all of the talent in the world, but you have to come through in the right moments."
The Dodgers could help position themselves to become only the third franchise in MLB history to three-peat if they find a way to acquire Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
"They would go ballistic," Roberts said while laughing when asked about the reactions if L.A. were to land Skubal. "But we would have the prospect capital to do that. We are one of the teams that could do that with the Tigers."
The Dodgers (39-22) enter Wednesday with MLB's second-best record. The team boasts arguably the No. 2 farm system in baseball as well.
