LOS ANGELES — Roughly 15 minutes north of downtown, ensconced within the shallow canyon of Chavez Ravine, is the model Major League Baseball franchise-envious critics accuse of ruining baseball. The fruits of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ naked ambition — Andrew Friedman, their president of baseball operations, has repeatedly said the goal is to create a new golden era for the historic franchise — are everywhere. An array of sponsors bought up every inch of sellable space at Dodger Stadium. There’s signage in three languages — English, Spanish and Japanese — demonstrating the club’s global reach. And the four-million-plus fans that took in games this season easily led the majors in attendance.

All of that helps fuel an astonishing Competitive Balance Tax payroll of $416.8 million that exceeds

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