Joe Kelly compares the Dodgers to Apple

After becoming the first MLB champions to repeat since the New York Yankees won three consecutive World Series from 1998 to 2000, the baseball world, including manager Dave Roberts, expected the California outfit to have a relatively quiet off-season.

Just over two months later, the Dodgers signed reliever Edwin Diaz to a record-breaking contract and outfielder Kyle Tucker to an astronomical $60 million annual contract.

If this came as a surprise to many, it didn't to Joe Kelly, who defended his former team in an interview with MLB Network Radio, comparing their approach to Apple releasing a new iPhone every year.

I'm not surprised. Obviously, it angers a lot of people, but you see people lining up every fall for the new iPhone. That's what the Dodgers do. They're going to improve their team, which is essentially their product. You don't see Apple making the same phone over and over again, do you? They know they're the best, but they want to keep improving their product, and that's exactly what the Dodgers do.

Kelly has never been one to mince his words, sometimes to a fault, but his point isn't a bad one this time. President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman has repeatedly stated that the Dodgers ownership group and management feel a responsibility to the team's fans.

Are the #Dodgers #1 in all of sports right now?

https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/piEMrQ7h0i

– MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 16, 2026

With an exorbitant payroll and over $1 billion in deferred money, the Dodgers are being used as a scapegoat for the likely MLB lockout that will occur once the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 season.

But many other issues need to be addressed before pointing fingers at an organization that is pumping money back into its product.

This content was created with the help of AI.