The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again one of the best clubs in MLB and seem primed to make a potentially deep run into the postseason.
Much of their success can be credited to Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who has built the Dodgers into a model franchise for the rest of the league. They have done it by utilizing a mix of superstars, quality role players, and young, home-grown talent.
In a recent poll, Friedman was voted as having the top front office in all of Major League Baseball.
Receiving 284 points from a pool of 40 executives from across the sport, the Dodgers’ top executive sat atop everyone else, per Andy McCullough, Patrick Mooney and Tyler Kepner of The Athletic:
One executive described a first-place vote for the Dodgers as “self-explanatory. They are elite at everything.”
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Adding Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Freddie Freeman to his club are prime examples of why Friedman is a special talent, considering the amount of failed contracts given out to superstars:
“One of the things he does so well is knowing which stars to sign,” another executive said.
Their restraint has been remarkable, too, not going out of their way to panic sign players, which was evidenced in their 2023 season, mostly going with mid-range veterans to carry a load.
That allowed the team to go out an acquire Ohtani, Glasnow and Yamamoto in the following offseason:
In part, another executive explained, that stems from the front office’s “insane discipline,” not wasting resources on mid-tier players so that when a star becomes available, the team can pounce.
Holding off from going crazy each offseason is good on multiple fronts, and the star power is top-end. That same prowess rolls down into the farm system.
Friedman has earned the respect of his peers, and the Dodgers are seeing the benefits of all his work:
“Andrew,” another executive said, “is the best at this.”
Friedman has brought in numerous front office names who have left, going on to develop their own systems, elsewhere. That bloodline of executives is a likely point of emphasis for his peers lending him a lot of credit when debates of top front office names pop up.
Andrew Friedman wanted Dodgers to come off as destination spot
In the offseason, the Dodgers loaded their class with some unbelievable talents. The plus is their treasure chest of cash from organizational resources, but also because of the opportunity to win and develop careers.
Friedman has worked for years creating a working model to ensure franchise stability, while allowing players to tap into parts of their game that have hindered growth.
The Dodgers have built a winning culture over the last decade, making 11 consecutive trips to the postseason, and winning 10 National League West titles, three pennants and one World Series championship since the 2013 season.
Friedman’s hand in their success is clear, flipping the Dodgers into perennial powerhouse.
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