Jeff Passan is getting absolutely roasted for past defense of Dodgers amid Mark Walter drama

ESPN insider Jeff Passan is often the envy of both baseball writers and baseball fans alike. Very few people in baseball has the access that he does, breaks news at the same level he does, or has the same sterling reputation for trustworthiness that he does.

These days, though, he also has to face the reality that he's aligned himself with the Los Angeles Dodgers heavily over the last many years.

On Tuesday, Passan released a nearly hour-long YouTube video breaking down the Mark Walter situation and how it could impact the Dodgers. He had already caught a lot of flack for declining to weigh in on the Dodgers' situation promptly, and he continued to not please anyone despite breaking his silence.

A segment of the video is dedicated to the Dodgers' TV rights deal, which dates back to Frank McCourt's ownership and keeps millions of dollars in LA's pockets, shielded from revenue sharing. He admits, "the Dodgers' local-TV deal is a profound competitive advantage."

A fan replied, asking, "Jeff, does this in any way change your previous assertions that 'any team can do what the Dodgers are doing?'"

In a now-deleted but, of course, screenshotted and widely disseminated reply, Passan wrote, "If you can show me where I said that, I'd love to see it. You can't, because I didn't." It was quickly hit with a Community Note, and fans reached back into the archives to pull out the receipts themselves.

Jeff Passan rightfully called out over wishy-washy stance on Dodgers

The Dodgers' monetary advantage from their TV right deal is not new information. Though Passan did not present it as his own discovery, it has certainly been known and could've been cited when he was making "everyone can do what the Dodgers do" or "everyone can do what the Dodgers do"-adjacent claims.

Should he find a way to avoid selling the team, the Walter situation may not end up having bringing acute or even long-term repercussions unto the Dodgers. It's unlikely to affect their ability to pay up when the $1 billion deferrals come knocking, and it likely won't factor into CBA discussions. The TV rights deal, however, is a separate situation altogether, and even Dodgers fans have to acknowledge that it's a luxury no one else in baseball is afforded.

Passan tried to, but it was too little, too late. While Dodgers fans have certainly appreciated having him as an ally, Passan himself insisting that he has not been isn't a good look to anyone.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

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