The Los Angeles Dodgers’ nine-figure deal for Kyle Tucker didn’t just bolster their roster; it ignited a firestorm across baseball, drawing accusations from fans and owners that the team was simply buying championships. But Cubs’ President Jed Hoyer has a different POV.

In an interview, Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman asked Jed Hoyer what he thinks about the Dodgers’ spending spree. And Hoyer’s response may seem surprising.

“They’ve made some incredible business decisions that have led to having a lot of money to spend on really good players… And so the way I look at it’s baseball.”

Jed Hoyer cherished the time Kyle Tucker spent in Chicago and felt good about their relationship even after his departure to Los Angeles. Hoyer said that Tucker shone early with the Cubs and helped carry their offense before the whole team began to struggle.

He also mentioned that he’s “happy for him” after Kyle Tucker signed a 4-year, $240 million deal with the Dodgers.

Hoyer praised his chance to win and loved knowing the Cubs gave him a platform in Chicago, calling the right fielder a star and noting that any team adding him would improve.

When asked about the Dodgers’ payroll after they signed Kyle Tucker, Hoyer pushed back on the idea that spending large sums defines them. He pointed out that fans focus too much on payroll size and contract deferments, but the organization excels in drafting, international scouting, smart trades, and signing free agents like Tucker.

Per Hoyer, it’s unfair to say the Dodgers are purely buying their success because they combine spending with great baseball operations, building a competitive roster.

Jed Hoyer even refused to agree with the narrative that the Los Angeles Dodgers are ruining baseball.

He argued that complaining about the Dodgers’ spending is linked more to owners preferring to keep more revenue rather than reinvest in the team.

Hoyer mentioned that the Los Angeles Dodgers invest in both present success and future sustainability. The team’s approach shows an aim to be competitive as long as possible with a core group that has already delivered back-to-back World Series.

He didn’t see that model as harmful to baseball, but as a valid way for a franchise to build its era. With all that positivity, Hoyer also noted that the Dodgers are not unbeatable.

According to the Cubs’ prez, even with that strength, the Dodgers haven’t always dominated games.

In the 2025 NLDS, Los Angeles beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 to advance in the NLCS, with a tight Game 2 (4-3), illustrating how pressure can swing games.

In the World Series, too, the Toronto Blue Jays went head-to-head with the Dodgers, performing on an equal level and ending the series at just 4-3.

For Hoyer, these examples show that baseball isn’t decided by money alone but by performance in clutch moments.

Jed Hoyer even drew parallels between LA and the dominant New York Yankees team from the late 1990s, suggesting there’s nothing unprecedented about this spending model.

The Dodgers’ back-to-back titles mirror the Yankees’ three-peat run from 1998 to 2000 in terms of consistent excellence. Hoyer believes that even those Yankees teams were beatable in any given series, reminding us that dominant teams still faced close contests and tight playoff games.

Hoyer’s message was simple in tone and backed by those margins: spend if you can, build well if you must, and remember even heavy favorites were once taken down.

The Cubs proved the point Jed Hoyer is making

Although it was just a spring training game, the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 on Saturday.

LA brought Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Max Muncy, and Teoscar Hernández. Even with those regulars, they managed only 2 runs and 3 hits across nine innings.

Chicago pitchers struck out 9 and walked just 3 overall over 8 total innings. Colin Rea opened with 3 scoreless innings on 51 pitches, allowing 1 single hit. He ended the third by striking out Miguel Rojas. Ben Brown followed with 2 innings using only 27 pitches, and 18 were strikes. He allowed 1 hit and struck out 3 batters.

Javier Assad then covered 3 innings on 37 pitches with 24 going for strikes. He gave up 1 hit and fanned 4 Dodgers during the sixth through eighth. Together, the trio threw 8 innings on 115 total pitches and allowed only 3 hits.

Chicago scored 6 runs while leaving 13 runners on base and hitting 5-17. Brett Bateman drove in 2 runs after a nine-pitch at-bat in the eighth. Kane Kepley added a triple in the ninth to score after his leadoff double. Even after a late walk forced in 1 run for the Dodgers, the Cubs won the game by 4.

This just proves the point Jed Hoyer is making about the Dodgers and their payroll. All MLB teams need are decent players and the strategy to push through to win.