And a guy that's never satisfied is the man that has put together sustained success and a World Series championship, and he obviously is doing great. Daddy daycare this week and a Dodger fest that is the president of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers, two time World Series champion, Andrew Friedman. Andrew, thanks a lot for coming by and love that you're showing the balance of life and being a champion.
Yeah, thanks for having me on.
Brandon Gham's daughter and my daughter, Sadie wanted to come hang today and so they're getting the full experience.
I'm glad they both look like their moms. That's a big win for the family. So is this a dad thing where they love being with dad because Dad will allow them to have a sprite.
No question about it. You can ask my daughter. I'm not great at saying no to her.
So both of these young ladies here where they were they pestering you and their dad, Brandon about ta Oscar Hernandez, who was just sitting in that very seat.
They definitely were, so were my boys.
Like dad, we're getting a lot of stuff at school, like we got to re sign.
Tao said, I agree. We're working on it.
Andrew, what's it like coming back here and seeing these guys maybe for the first time since the parade, it feels like there is still a sense of hunger from all of them.
Yeah, you know, we've talked about this a few times this winter. I think it's really hard to win. It's even harder to repeat. And part of the difficulty in repeating is a sense of complacency that can come overcome a group, and that coupled with pictures getting kind of redline through October, that combination, for me, I think is a big factor in the difficulty in repeating, and so for us. Fortunately our pictures didn't get redline. Made it a harder not great for quality of life, but we
got through it. And the complacency thing I just have never worried about with this group, just the way they're wired. Everyone is so focused and committed to making this a golden era Dodger Baseball. The way these guys are wired, their work ethic, their desire to win is awesome.
Did it factor into you bringing in guys like Blake SNeW, Michael Confordo Tanner Scott that these guys may help that part of the equation where they haven't won before. Kirby Yates talked about it yesterday. They want to win a World Series championship. Does that help feed the beast that you were describing?
Yeah, I mean again, I don't think this group needs that at all. But adding in guys that are hungry. You know, we had a number of guys that we had last year that were hurt and missed that October experience, they're hungry as well. I think we have a really talented roster and all focused and committed on winning, and so it sets up for the possibility for really special things.
Among the players that I've sat in that chair today is none other than snell Zilla, the two times cy Young Award winner, your first sunning of the off season. It feels like in this twenty four to seven news cycle we forget about maybe the biggest fish landed being the two times sy Young Award winner. He already said that he sees something in Bobby Miller that he wants to help bring out of him. Was that part of the equation of bringing him in as well as the obvious.
Yeah, it's pretty awesome. I've known Blake since he was eighteen, and I guess it means that I'm getting old but more experienced, yes, thank you, But just seeing the maturation from him over the years, and when he was with the Padres, would run over and talk to him every time they'd come to town for a little bit and just connect with him, and just seeing each year it gradually, you know, and then I think fatherhood, and so he's always been focused and dedicated on how to be the
best picture he can be. But I've seen a real growth in terms of how he can impact others and winning and just things that you see in that cycle for a young player as they start to become more of a veteran. And I've talked to him a number of times this offseason. He's asking me about guys. He's thinking about our roster and awesome ways. You know, we have so many guys.
You know.
The natural cycle of a player is they're focused on doing well for themselves and making money, which makes sense, they're the best players in the world. And figuring out how to navigate that I think is really important and hard and it's stressful, and with more experienced players that we've signed a longer term contracts, that's out the window and it is all about what can I do to
help us win? And it aligns their interests perfectly with ours, and it is all about winning and you know, how we can impact and make players better and keep them in the right positions to succeed. And Blake is definitely in that mindset and is looking at ways beyond when he pitches every fifth or sixth day, of how he can impact this team and help us win.
I know you're always got the mine and the wheels spinning, But when can Andrew Friedman sit back and say, I feel pretty good about the team that I'm taking to spring training.
You know, I'm never very good at like taking stock. Like every day we have stuff to do and things to focus on, and we do feel really good about this team, but there is an importance of integrating new guys. There's how to manage Roki and Yamamoto and a show Hey comes back, and you know glass now schedule. There's just so much mini factors that are all really important that we don't really have much time to ever kind
of sit back and take stock of anything. It is much more about like, Okay, here's the to do list, here are things we need to focus on.
I think.
I won't really get perspective for any of this until I get fired, and then I can look back and.
That's never happening. That's never going to happen.
That jolted my daughter's Wait.
No, no, that's never happening. You got to keep Dad here for a long time, because without Dad, this machine does not keep going again. Look there he is to askar Hernandez. Hey, I told tayl if he was not going to be here, I was not coming today.
Me neither, Yes, right me neither.
You couldn't have come today? So hey, speaking of Hernandez, is I refuse to believe the door is closed on Keik rejoining you guys, I know he's a free agent, but do you feel like it's a little premature to slam the door on any more significant moves?
Yeah?
I mean, I don't think the door's ever closed on Kik. That being said, it doesn't mean that it will necessarily work out. But we've required him a lot of different times, and through trades and free agency, you know, twice through trade and you know, I don't know how to play out. We'll never close the door on him, but you know, if he does sign somewhere else, and hopefully we'll have a chance to trade for him or whatever. But the
most important thing is for he and his family. We want them to make the best decision for them and whatever that means. And obviously we're biased and we hope it means us, but we'll see how that plays out.
It was encouraging to see him at a Utah hockey game. It feels like he's just drifting, waiting for the time to drift back to la. I mean, Kik had a Utah hockey game, Andrew, I never thought i'd see that.
Yeah. Either.
He's good friends with the gm oh and I talked to him about it during the season. But when I first saw it, I was like, wait a minute, and then I remembered that connection.
Yeah, okay, Hey, I'm gonna ask you one more roster question. Then I got Andrew Friedman, baseball fan. There he is, Gavin Stone. Don't be scared of the boss, Gavin. It's okay, Hey, let me introduce you Gavin to Andrew Friedman. I mean, are you really surprised to see him? Hey? By the way, Gavin Stone pitched more innings and made more starts for the Dodgers than anybody else last year was awesome.
That's another guy who you know missed the October run that you know will be a big part of future October runs.
And there's the Bozukah. He's coming back. What June first, right, Bazukah? All right, all right, okay, no problem, Bruce Star graderol More reinforcements come in. Who knows who else is gonna pop out of that door, that's sure. Andrew fans love coming to spring training. Obviously, everybody's anticipating show A pitching for the first time in a Dodger uniform this year. What should be our expectations of what we see him do on the mound during the time at camel Back Ranch.
I don't know yet.
You know, he's playing long toss and he will start progressing and advancing. I don't know yet as far as win he will start facing hitters. We haven't figured that out. We want to get around him, be a part of a stowing program with our pitching guys, and you know, each and every day he's with our trainers right now, and you know he's kind of moving out of rehab phase and to go compete mode, and so exactly how that progresses we haven't figured out yet.
But there is a possibility a fan might be there on a Tuesday afternoon and see him maybe just pitch to somebody.
Yeah, maybe LEFTI or underhanded or something. Sure, Yeah, I don't, I don't. I don't know when he's going to face hitters yet, but I do know he is going to pitch for us this year and be a big part of what we do on both sides of the ball.
All right, Andrew, before I let you go, I remember hearing this story about you waiting in the hotel for one of your favorite players as a young man, Tim Rains, Tim rock Rains expos Fame. One of my favorite players growing up was Eric Davis, same generation a player. I contend peak Eric Davis better than peak Tim Rains.
It's not surprising with your takes and how oft they typically are that this is just another one of those that's off.
Was Tim Rains ever? Compared to Willie Mays? Did Tim Rains almost just because you never did? That was the other people out there.
I guess.
Rain's ability to impact on the basis on defense in the box was incredible and also had a much longer run he did.
He stayed healthy than Eric Davis. But Eric Davis ran into the brick wall at Wrigley Field, or he would have been the first fifty to fifty player.
Yeah, Eric Davis was great. He was great. Just wasn't a rock range, but he was great.
All right, agree to disagree.
That seems to sum up a lot of our conversations. We're just gonna have to agree to disagree.
I one thing I will agree with. You are not quitting and you're not getting fired. I would agree with that. You are staying here for a long time, right right, Dad's staying around, right, Zadi, for a long time, Brandon Gomes staying around? Is your dad staying around? Yeah?
He better?
Well he brought back to Oscar so they could stick around a little bit longer, right, Thanks Andrew, Thanks a lot. I think it's great to just see how you balance all of it, and you've been able to bring two World Series championships to LA. We're looking for a third. Yes, we're letting Daddy go. And there's skittles inside the room to go with your sprite. It'll be great. Thank you, Andrew, Thank you, Brandon Gomes