Dodgers payroll breakdown: How expensive L.A. roster compares to other 2024 MLB playoff teams

The Dodgers spent, spent, and spent some more last offseason after another surprise NLDS exit, turning what was already a championship-or-bust team into what many perceived as a powerhouse.

Shohei Ohtani wasn't the extent of the franchise's additions. The Dodgers also brought in Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Teoscar Hernandez, among others, fortifying a team that already had two former MVP hitters. 

The Dodgers have plenty of resources, but they don't always go all-out with money like they did ahead of this season. Los Angeles let Manny Machado, Corey Seager, and Trea Turner walk in free agency at different points. Last offseason showed the franchise was more serious than ever about winning a championship, and completing that mission now won't be easy.

Here's a look at the Dodgers' 2024 payroll and how it compares to other MLB playoff teams. 

MORE: How Dodgers have fallen short despite massive payroll

Dodgers payroll breakdown 2024

The Dodgers' payroll for 2024 is $241 million, but their tax payroll is $339.9 million. That means the Dodgers' payroll is counted as $339.9 million as it relates to MLB's luxury tax thresholds, even though the roster itself is making only $241 million.

What's the reason for the discrepancy? The biggest factor is Ohtani's deferred contract, which pays him only $2 million this season but still counts as $46 million against the tax. Other deals affect the tax differently as well, including Yamamoto's hefty contract. His deal is backloaded, with a base salary less than $10 million this season, but his salary counts as $27.1 million against the tax in all 12 years of the contract.

Here are the highest-paid Dodgers in 2024, accounting for deferrals and more:

Ohtani's 2024 salary is just $2 million as a result of the heavy deferrals in his deal, but the Dodgers still have to pay part of the price through the luxury tax system.

With Ohtani's salary so low and Yamamoto under $10 million in 2024, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are easily the Dodgers' highest-paid players at $30 million and $27 million, respectively.

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MLB playoff payrolls

Here's how the Dodgers' payroll compares to every other team that made the postseason:

The Mets have the highest payroll of any team in baseball, though it should be noted they are still paying $30.8 million to Max Scherzer and $25 million to Justin Verlander. More than $80 million of New York's payroll is traced to players who aren't in the organization any longer. For the Dodgers, that figure is less than $30 million.

MORE: Will the Dodgers fire Dave Roberts?

When accounting for how MLB considers each team's payroll for luxury tax purposes, the Dodgers rank second in baseball. Here's how each postseason team ranks against the tax:

The luxury tax thresholds for 2024 are $237 million, $257 million, $277 million, and $297 million, so the Dodgers join the Mets and Yankees above the highest tax threshold in 2024.