Los Angeles Dodgers president and part-owner Stan Kasten responded to former NFL center Jason Kelce, who criticized the Dodgers and MLB after LA won their second World Series in a row.
Kelce spoke about the World Series on the New Heights podcast, saying he didn’t care about the seven-game thriller because the result was as he expected.
“You’re telling me I’m supposed to get excited about a Canadian baseball team and a team who just spends more money than everybody else?” Kelce said. “Who the f— cares about either?”
“That’s why baseball sucks. You just buy World Series championships… Everybody knew this was going to happen before the season. We just had a bunch of meaningless s— happen before it, then it happened.”
“Baseball sucks. You just buy World Series championships. It’s the dumbest thing in the world.” -Jason Kelce
Kasten responded to Kelce’s comments on the Starkville podcast
“First of all, history demonstrates that’s not true,” Katsen said. “Usually the team with the highest payroll doesn’t win the World Series. I hate to throw facts at him, but I will throw one quote from someone in his city, and that’s Bryce Harper, who said the only people complaining are losers. I think he’s exactly right.
“What got us to the position we’re in, the position of being able to have lost the World Series at any point in the World Series, 20 different ways, was because yes, we had a high payroll. But those people need to be led and developed, and we need to be backed up by a farm system that is productive year in and year out. Without that, we couldn’t compete.
“And just buying a world championship, if it were true, more teams would certainly be trying that approach. It’s not true. You need everything to succeed, and I use my teams in Atlanta to remind people. Everyone describes those teams in Atlanta as Glavine, Maddux, Smotltz. But remember, the three of them were acquired by the Braves in the three different ways you acquire players. One was developed, one was acquired in a trade and one was signed as a free agent. That’s what every team needs to do. Use all the tools to get there.
“So I will refrain from making anymore caustic responses to Jason. I’m glad he’s watching.”
The Dodgers were one of three teams to have a payroll higher than $300 million in 2025, and well outperformed the other two: the New York Yankees and New York Mets. The Mets missed the playoffs entirely in 2025, and the Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
While the Dodgers’ spending definitely plays its part in their success, there is far more to winning.
