Dodgers infielder from McCourt Era defends the team’s recent success

Former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. justified the Dodgers’ spending after they signed All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Hairston says the Dodgers’ success is about more than just money, and that the club has a different culture than when he played for LA.

“Was on the ’12 team where MLB had to step in so we could get paid in April,” Hairston wrote via teams have money, but very few teams have money to create a culture and atmosphere like the Dodgers have.”

Was on the ’12 team where MLB had to intervene so we could get paid in April. The team was bought a few weeks later by a group that poured money into the stadium, the city and the players. Titles didn’t just happen overnight. They created a culture where players like Ohtani & Teo etc…

—Jerry Hairston, Jr. (@TheRealJHair) January 22, 2026

Since 2012, the Dodgers have undergone a marked change in direction. Although they didn’t make the postseason that year – finishing second in the division behind the eventual World Series-winning San Francisco Giants – they have made the playoffs every year since and won the division every year but one.

When did Jerry Hairston Jr. play for the Dodgers?

Hairston joined the Dodgers prior to the 2012 season, signing a two-year, $6 million deal with the team. His arrival came at an odd time for the Dodgers, as former owner Frank McCourt had filed for bankruptcy less than a year earlier and ultimately sold the team near the end of spring training.

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He played out his contract before the season and served as a solid hitter in 2012. He had a .642 OPS for the team during his two years in Los Angeles, hitting six home runs and recording 48 RBIs.

Hairston ended his 16-year career after the end of the 2013 season and announced his retirement.

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The utility man’s message makes more than sense and emphasizes the point that the Dodgers have the ability to sign the players they sign because they have created a positive, winning culture since the end of his tenure. LA will look to continue their winning trend in 2026, with their eyes on the World Series and the franchise’s first-ever three-peat.