It has become a predictable talking point around baseball the last couple of offseasons, amplified every time the Dodgers sign a star on what has become an increasingly common contract for the club.
Nine times in the last five years, the Dodgers agreed to deals with significant amounts of deferred money — large portions of salaries that won’t be paid out until well into the future, after the deal is complete.
And on each occasion, the scrutiny of such maneuvers from rival fan bases has become louder and louder, with the Dodgers’ ability to put off long-term payments while reaping short-term benefits raising new fears about a competitive imbalance in a sport many worry is losing league-wide parity.