The immediate reaction to Kasten’s approach is easily summed up in horror. How could a team, set in the middle of one of the countries biggest markets, be looking to shrink its payroll? How could the Dodgers be trading players, fan-favorite player, and signing ones the fans were never particularly interested in?
While making the moves almost nobody wanted to see, the Dodgers ticket prices continued that gradual rise, parking prices cost more than a lower level ticket for a Diamondbacks game, and the Dodgers are signed to a lucrative TV deal that blacks out most of their fanbase from seeing the games in the first place.