Dave Roberts trolls MLB fans with humorous statement after Dodgers World Series berth

"Let's get four more wins, and really ruin baseball," Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during Friday night's exuberant postgame celebration. Obviously there's a measure of humor in what the Dodgers' skipper was saying, and in his own hilarious way, Roberts was poking fun at the media, pundits, and MLB fans who claimed that LA's heavy-spending is making a mockery of the sport.

It's no secret that the Dodgers have spent more money and have a bigger payroll than any team in baseball. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, LA's $313 million payroll ranks first among all other MLB franchises. To be fair, six of the top-10 highest spending teams this season made the playoffs, so it's not as if the Dodgers are the only top-dollar team among this year's postseason contenders.

The idea that the Dodgers are ruining baseball is very nuanced, and mostly just a media-driven narrative drummed up by a number of small-market fanbases who've lamented the low-level of spending from their ownership groups. While LA's $300-million payroll is the highest in MLB, others like Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins, and Chicago White Sox aren't even trying.

LA manager Dave Roberts (playfully) wants the Dodgers to ruin baseball with another World Series win

LA isn't doing anything that any other club is prohibited from doing — they just happen to do it better — and most of the frustration is rooted in jealousy. In other words, those who claim the Dodgers are ruining the sport would have no issue if their team suddenly decided to enter the fray. If the New York Mets (who have a $291 million payroll) were in the World Series, would they be ruining the game?

And for as much as those critical of the Dodgers' payroll want to clutch their pearls and excoriate LA's spending habits, they also use a good amount of their revenue to pay their players. The old adage of "you've got to spend money to make money" definitely applies to the Dodgers' front office and ownership.

Dodgers fans shouldn't expect the hand-wringing to lessen. In fact, if the Dodgers take home the World Series trophy for the second time in two years, the cries from the small-market fanbases will only get louder.

Some have advocated for MLB to adopt a salary cap — something that could limit spending in the future. Those who've been clamoring for such a restrictive measure will get their chance after next season when the existing CBA expires.

Are the Dodgers really ruining baseball? It's a fair question. But the more appropriate query might be, are those teams who refuse to spend money, and thereby lessen their chances of winning, ruining baseball? Based on Roberts' comments following LA's NLCS win over the Milwaukee Brewers, he'd probably say the latter.