Cardinals pitcher calls out Dodgers spending

“We’re not exactly a low payroll team, but you got the Dodgers playing checkbook baseball,” Mikolas said. “We’re going to be the hardest working group of Midwestern farmers we can be. … It would be great to stick it to the Dodgers.”

Plenty of people are probably in agreement with Mikolas on the topic of the Dodgers’ spending. The team spent over $1.2 billion in the offseason on the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, though their projected payroll may not even wind up as the highest in the league.

The Dodgers certainly have some flaws and are making some risky moves ahead of the new season, even with the money spent. However, one has to wonder if the Cardinals are equipped to take advantage of any slip-ups. They finished 71-91 last season and spent the offseason making mostly modest additions to their pitching staff.

Mikolas will be a big part of any potential improvement. His 4.78 ERA last season was a big disappointment, particularly coming off an All-Star campaign in 2022.