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Los Angeles Dodgers: It’s Time to Let Andrew Friedman Do His Thing

By Sarah Maninger |
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 22: Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, walks on the field before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 22: Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, walks on the field before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 22: Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, walks on the field before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 22: Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, walks on the field before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

With the 2018 Trade Deadline arriving quickly, GMs all over the game face both praise and criticism for how they’ll go about helping their team, but the President of Baseball Ops for the Los Angeles Dodgers is no stranger to this specific spotlight.

Last season, the Dodgers pulled off the one trade very few thought they actually would. In the 11th hour, Andrew Friedman and GM Farhan Zaidi completed a trade with the Texas Rangers for Yu Darvish. In the end, that trade turned out to be far from ideal for the Dodgers. But no matter how upset many of us were at Darvish after Game 7, we have to remember that this team may not have even made it to the World Series without him.

We can’t predict the postseason, but we can make our hopes, and wishes for the Dodgers as they embark on the road to it.

At long last, the trade deadline is finally upon us.

Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi have some decisions to make the closer we get to July 31st. Do they trade for Machado, and let go of some of the best prospects the Dodgers have? Or do they take a risk, and trade for a future Brandon Morrow or a potential Max Muncy? Trading for Darvish last season was the first big move the Dodgers have made in terms of moving prospects in a while. Sure, they have the money. They could wait, and sign some big name come November but by then, the Dodgers could have one more pennant and one more World Series loss to deal with.

The time is now for the Dodgers to do whatever it takes to win the World Series, but it’s also time to let Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi do their job.

As fans, it’s so easy for us to sit at our computers, look at what’s gone wrong with our favorite team, and play GM. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I do it all the time. At the end of the day, however, the only moves that matter are the ones that actually get made.

So, what moves actually make sense for the Dodgers right now? Is Machado the answer? Is letting go of two, or three top prospects going to help the Dodgers get a ring?

The Dodgers front office has a history of making significantly under-the-radar trades. Can they do it again?

LHP Tony Cingrani is a perfect example of this. Last season, when the Dodgers acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds, his stats reflected that of an elite, yet shaky, big-league reliever. His ERA was over 5, and his HR/9 numbers weren’t great, especially for a specialty, one-or-two-outs type of pitcher. In 23.1 innings pitched in 2017 with the Reds, he allowed 14 earned runs.

When the Dodgers looked at Cingrani, however, they didn’t see a struggling reliever. They saw a pitcher that could use a change of scenery and even a change in division. After the move to Los Angeles, Cingrani’s ERA dropped from 5.40 to 2.79. In 19.1 innings with the Dodgers last year, he only allowed one home run, and 6 earned runs in all. He went on to strike out over one batter per inning.

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Cingrani may not have saved the Dodgers in the World Series, but he stood as a reliable reliever for the Dodgers as the season came to an end. He’s eligible for arbitration at the end of this season and has the option to test the waters of free agency the year after that.

This season, the Dodgers need to make bolder moves than just one or two relievers and another middle-of-the-order guy. They’re going to need a name that has been tossed around in trade talks for the past month. They are going to need Kyle Barraclough, or J.T. Realmuto or Manny Machado. They are going to need Michael Fulmer or Raisel Iglesias.

Or, they could trade for four or five guys like Tony Cingrani and Max Muncy without losing a single top prospect.

No matter which way Friedman chooses to go this season, it’s his show to run. Either way, the Dodgers fate will not be decided by the outcome of the trade deadline. If Manny Machado puts on a D-Backs uniform, Los Angeles may be facing an uphill battle, but it’s one they can win.

Next: Dodgers Targeting Michael Fulmer in a Trade?

Whether this season ends in victory or defeat, the Dodgers and Friedman will have given it everything they had.

Isn’t that all we can ask?

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