Harper: 'Only losers complain about' Dodgers' spending
Philadelphia Phillies superstar Bryce Harper was watching closely as the Los Angeles Dodgers out-spent just about everyone this winter. Unlike some fans, though, he has no issue with his rivals flexing their financial muscles to become a better team.
"I don't know if people will like this, but I feel like only losers complain about what they are doing," Harper told reporters ahead of Friday's series opener against the Dodgers, according to Jason Dumas of WPVI. "I think they're a great team, they're a great organization, (and) that's why guys want to go there and play. L.A.'s a great city to play in, obviously. It's the mecca of, kind of, the world of everything, from food to nightlife to sports, from the Dodgers to the Lakers to anybody.
"They're gonna continue to get guys, they're gonna continue to pull guys from this sport, and if that's bullpen, starting pitching, international players, anything like that, they're doing what the Dodgers do."
After winning the World Series with a star-studded squad last October, the Dodgers went on a massive spending spree during the offseason. L.A. stunningly signed two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182-million deal and won the bidding for young Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki, adding even more star power to a roster that already included Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, among others.
The Dodgers also brought in reliever Tanner Scott on a four-year, $72-million contract, added Kirby Yates and Michael Conforto on one-year deals, extended Tommy Edman, and re-signed Teoscar Hernández, Kiké Hernández, Blake Treinen, and Clayton Kershaw. Their Opening Day payroll came in at a little over $330 million, nearly $10 million more than the second-place New York Mets, per Spotrac.
The Phillies have certainly spent in recent years, luring the likes of Harper, Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, and Zack Wheeler to town on big-money deals. But their $283-million Opening Day payroll currently ranks fourth in MLB.
Philadelphia didn't make any splashy signings this past offseason, only adding reliever Jordan Romano and outfielder Max Kepler on one-year deals in free agency. The team did attempt to pursue Sasaki - who will face the Phillies on Saturday in his first MLB road start - but were rebuffed by the right-hander before having a chance to meet with him.
Although it's early in the season, this weekend's three-game series at Citizens Bank Park could be an NLCS preview between two of the favorites to come out of a loaded Senior Circuit in October.
"That's a really good team over there, so we're excited for the matchup tonight," Harper said of the Dodgers. "I think it should be a fun weekend ahead, and they're a really good team, we're a really good team. We got good arms, they got good arms. We got a good lineup, they do as well. So I know we're looking forward to it, I know our fans are too, and we'll see what happens."