Since taking the helm as Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations in 2014, Andrew Friedman has made a name for himself as one of the more aggressive executives across the sport.
From offseason signings to midseason acquisitions, Friedman hasn’t hesitated to pull the trigger on a big move if it meant improving the Dodgers’ odds of winning a World Series. He’s been equally as shrewd with minor transactions as well.
Friedman has lived up to his reputation in each of the previous three non-waiver trade deadlines, yielding a plethora of young prospects to add some of the top available players such as Rich Hill, Yu Darvish and Manny Machado.
While the Dodgers’ farm system has taken a bit of a hit with these specific trades, the club has been able to hold on to key contributors Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Joc Pederson and Julio Urias, who have all been coveted in trade discussions with other clubs.
Looking to find a balance between the present and future, Friedman reiterated that the Dodgers’ strategy in adding players is designed with an eye on both the long-term and short-term, via SportsNet LA:
“It is a tough balance. All of us are extremely competitive and we want to win now and we want to do all we can to do that. We traded away a lot of young players; probably more young players than anybody the last four years. But we’ve been able to hold onto the guys we feel really fit what we’re doing in the near-term and long-term. It’s the trickiest thing of what we do, is to do all we can to win now while not turning a blind eye to the future.
“The moves we didn’t make in 2016 or ’17, we’re reaping the benefits of right now. And in 2021, ’22, we’re going to be reaping the benefits then. So it’s our responsibility to find that equilibrium, that balance between now and the future. And we feel good about that mix, but it’s something you’re constantly kind of nurturing and figuring out.”
After falling short in back-to-back World Series, Friedman again retooled the Dodgers’ roster over this past offseason, parting ways with the likes of Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig while adding A.J. Pollock, Russell Martin and Joe Kelly to the fold.
With the current core in place and set up to contend for years to come, Friedman feels strongly about the organization’s odds of winning the World Series in 2019.
