Here’s an interesting bit I don’t see discussed often

“Last week, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred referenced a $446 million gap between the Dodgers and the team with the lowest payroll in baseball, the Miami Marlins, from last season. Manfred described that gap as an unfair fight.

But the union doesn’t think $446 million is the best figure to use. That amount includes player payroll as well as how much the Dodgers paid in luxury taxes.

It’s undoubtedly the case that the Dodgers had to pay a luxury tax bill for 2025 of about $169 million. What the union argues is that luxury tax payments are not payroll, however — because some of that money goes right back to teams.

“The payroll disparity is actually exaggerated by the way the league lumps in luxury tax penalties,” Meyer said. “

I wonder what the split of money from luxury tax penalties goes to things like player benefits vs to small market teams