Dodgers haters in shambles as contract deferrals fueling another postseason run

Say it with a sigh, then say it with your chest: the Dodgers turned accounting into an on-field weapon, and October is their victory lap. Everyone yelling about “funny money” keeps forgetting the important part — Major League Baseball allows deferrals, and Los Angeles just used the tool more aggressively (and creatively) than anyone else. The result? A roster thick with star power and playoff-proof depth, insulated by a long payment tail that stretches into the 2030s and 2040s while the wins stack up right now.

But deferred dollars don’t hit breaking balls. Players do. And this October group is delivering. The Dodgers have paired their cap-savvy structure with precisely the kind of postseason performers that turn close games into series wins.

The Dodgers’ payment plan is paying off in the postseason

Yes, the total is staggering: north of $1 billion in deferred guarantees spread across the core. Start with Shohei Ohtani’s $680 million due from 2034–’43. Add Mookie Betts’ $115 million in salaries deferred from 2033–’44 (plus the final $5 million of his signing bonus from 2033–’35). Layer in Blake Snell’s $66 million (2035–’46), Freddie Freeman’s $57 million (2028–’40), Will Smith’s $50 million (2034–’43), Tommy Edman’s $25 million (2037–’44), and Teoscar Hernández’s $32 million — of which $8.5 million from his 2024 deal will be paid in 10 equal July 1 installments from 2030–’39. It’s a payment plan with a power stroke.

And about those power strokes: Hernández is playing like the best buy-now, pay-later bat in baseball. Three postseason homers and nine RBI in 2025. A .412 average and a 1.444 OPS. He’s ambushing heaters, punishing mistakes, and shrinking pitchers’ margin for error for everyone behind him. 

Mookie Betts, the easy target for “is he slipping?” takes after what many framed as an aging 2025 by his standards. October has been the clap-back. He’s slashing .389/.421/.977 this postseason. On defense, the reads, first step, and run-prevention instincts remain elite.

On the mound, Snell has been every bit the headline ace his contract implied. Two straight statement outings: seven innings with two earned and nine punchouts on September 30 against the Reds; six scoreless with nine K’s on October 6 versus the Phillies. Different lineups, same message.

Then there’s Ohtani, who casually blurred the job description again. Six innings for a quality start on October 4, three runs allowed — and oh, by the way, two home runs and five RBI with the bat. What can’t he do? The Dodgers didn’t just defer dollars; they deferred disbelief. The two-way chaos he creates forces opponents to plan for two stars in one roster spot. Good luck with matchups when your spreadsheet says “Ohtani” twice.

The foundation pieces keep the whole thing steady. Freddie Freeman is still the metronome — vacuuming throws, stealing outs with footwork at first, and stacking the kind of situational at-bats that bleed bullpens dry. And Will Smith is the postseason cheat code every contender wants: game-caller, traffic cop, and timely thump from a premium position. You can trace the deferred columns to his name, but you can also trace the pitching staff’s heartbeat to his mask.

So go ahead and hate the math. The Dodgers will take the math and the margins, the October leverage and the late-inning light shows. Deferrals didn’t win a series by themselves; they built the room for a roster that can.