@Think_Other on X
The Los Angeles Dodgers have the largest payroll in Major League Baseball by a wide margin, and now it appears they’re turning to fans in hopes of making up for some of those costs.
Anybody who has ever been to a sporting event in the United States knows that concession prices are insane. And anybody who has ever been in Los Angeles knows that prices for, well, everything, are insane. But the Dodgers took things to a new level on Friday night.
The reigning World Series champions offered fans the opportunity to buy a limited edition Shohei Ohtani souvenir cup. The catch? They’d have to shell out $75 if they wanted to get their hands on it.
UPDATE: The $75 Ohtani Cup that came with free refills on the day of the game now come with free refills for the entire season. pic.twitter.com/ZeSuoy5XG5
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March 28, 2026
Now, hear me out. The cup, like most souvenir cups, did come with free refills. In fact, according to noted dweeb and sports business expert Darren Rovell, the Dodgers changed the promotion to offer free refills for the entire season to anyone who buys the cup. There’s value in that for any season-ticket holder!
And it does look like a pretty darn cool cup, as souvenir cups go.
Dodgers fans, understandably, were furious with the pricing.
“A plastic cup that originally gave you unlimited refills only on the day of purchase for 75 USD. Going to a stadium in the United States is increasingly a rip-off,” one fan wrote on X.
“I don’t bemoan the Dodgers’ success. They’re the smartest organization in pro sports. And most fans of all stripes understand that success comes at a cost. But this is the sort of ridiculous elitist nonsense that’s going to start pushing ordinary fans away,” said another.
Additionally, fans mockingly asked if they could defer payments on the cup, much like the Dodgers are doing for Ohtani’s massive contract.
Something tells us that’s only a one-way street, however.