Are The Dodgers A Monopoly?
A Blog By Dean
Did you love or hate Monopoly growing up? I loved it. I have very fond memories of playing in my friend's basement whenever we were bored. We would piece together three different monopolies to make one because we kept losing pieces. It will come as a surprise to no one who follows this website when I tell you that Brett HATED playing monopoly. The image below accurately describes him.
It was a simpler time.
"A monopoly, or 'trust,' is defined as 'the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service.' During the Progressive Era, President Theodore Roosevelt earned the nickname 'Trustbuster' for his vigorous enforcement of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, targeting monopolistic practices.
While monopolies may seem like a relic of the past, America continues to confront them in 2024. Major corporations like Disney, Apple, and Google dominate their respective industries. For instance, Google is currently facing antitrust litigation over its dominance in the online search market.
Amid these corporate giants, a formidable force is emerging in Los Angeles: the Dodgers. Could the Dodgers' growing influence in Major League Baseball be considered a modern-day monopoly?
The Dodgers are creating their own monopoly within baseball, in large part, from the endorsement deals they are now getting from Japanese companies.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have significantly increased their revenue through strategic partnerships with Japanese companies, particularly following the acquisition of Japanese star Shohei Ohtani. In 2024, the Dodgers secured 12 new Japanese sponsorships, including notable brands such as All Nippon Airways and Daiso. These partnerships have contributed to an estimated $120 million in additional revenue, positioning the Dodgers as the highest new-revenue-generating team in U.S. professional sports for that year. Not only that, but they are now a tourist destination for anyone from Japan coming to LA.
In short, the Dodgers have a MONOPOLY on Japanese endorsements and attention. That is very important as we enter the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes.
Roki Sasaki, a 23-year-old pitching phenomenon from Japan, has quickly become one of the most talked-about players in the baseball world. Known for his exceptional velocity and control, Sasaki regularly clocks fastballs over 100 mph and has set records in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In 2022, he achieved a perfect game, striking out 19 batters and setting an NPB record for consecutive strikeouts (13). With a career ERA hovering around 2.00 and over 500 strikeouts in just four seasons, Sasaki's talent and potential have drawn significant MLB interest now that he will officially be posted.
At the age of 23, he will become one of the youngest Japanese players to come to America. Hmm, can you think of another Japanese star who took a risk and came to the MLB at the age of 23?
If you guessed Shohei Ohtani, you would be correct!
Sasaki was expected to come in 2027 when he would be free to sign for whatever amount of money he wanted. The Yamamoto deal would be a good comparison. Instead, he has decided to forgo millions to come to MLB a few years early. His contract would probably look something similar to Ohtani’s in 2018, where he was making easily $545,000.
So, why take the risk? Well, because the Dodgers have a MONOPOLY on Japanese money coming into MLB. Ohtani alone is bringing in $65 million a year in endorsements with Yamamoto taking in another $5-10 million.
Add the fact that the Dodgers have great player development, a manager who speaks Japanese, two of the greatest Japanese players ever, and the money to throw at him, and I would be absolutely shocked if he went and signed somewhere else.
Someone has to break up this monopoly, or the league is in trouble for the next decade.
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