GLENDALE, Ariz. — Andrew Friedman doesn’t wear disguises. He agrees to call Shohei Otani his “Moby Dick,” and is kind enough to wince only slightly when asked about “harpooning” him after chasing him for more than a decade.
In 2012, when Ohtani was thinking about signing with an MLB team straight out of high school, Friedman was the Rays’ general manager and was making an unprecedented leap forward when the Japanese phenom was 1) making an unprecedented leap from a Japanese high school. , 2 ) Friedman tried to invest his organization into doing just that for Tampa Bay.
Before Ohtani decided to stay and play for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, the MLB finalists were the Red Sox and Dodgers, who were in single-minded pursuit of a two-way star.
The two entrenched parties came together in 2017, and Friedman, now the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, went into hard sell mode once he realized the two-way phenom was definitely coming to America. He knew he was at a disadvantage because the National League doesn’t have a designated hitter. But between dropping him when he was a starting pitcher, using him as a DH in every interleague game at an AL park, and using him as a pinch hitter, how could the Dodgers manage to get him through 300 at-bats? I created a presentation that shows how you can earn. or more times.
They were introduced to Los Angeles and its clubhouse culture and winning, and when Ohtani named him a certain DH at bat with the Angels, Friedman received an email from his brother Brent saying, “Great job promoting him in the Los Angeles area.” received.
Friedman did his due diligence at the 2022 and 2023 trade deadlines, when there was speculation that the Angels would let Ohtani go, but deep down Friedman didn’t believe the Angels would let him go. However, if that were the case, it would have been more likely that the Angels would release Ohtani. Rather than send him up Interstate 5 to our giant neighbor, he’ll go to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, Friedman spent 2022 and 2023 reorganizing his salary structure to ensure there were no financial hurdles as he adjusted his organization for this role. The Dodgers were considered the favorites months before free agency began, and they didn’t flinch when Ohtani needed a second Tommy John surgery that guaranteed he wouldn’t pitch until 2025. Eight are very happy with their chances. after that …
Reports have begun to circulate that Ohtani will sign with the Blue Jays. There was a private plane and he was heading to Toronto. What surprised Friedman was the specifics of who would meet with the Ohtani group at Rogers Center and the number of the special flight.
Friedman then tried to contact Ohtani’s agent, Nez Valero, who “red-called me.” [declined the call]” That only increased the anxiety. Did the beluga slip again?
Friedman tells me how long it takes to actually get a call from Valero. 8 minutes.
Valero said no decision has been made yet. Friedman rationalized that it was clear to everyone involved that Ohtani would announce his news on Instagram, so even if there was a decision, it would be Valero’s call. So telling the Dodgers they lost meant it was the Blue Jays, so Ohtani didn’t blow the news.
But that was all Friedman received from this covert operation. Until the next day. He happened to be in Anaheim with his wife, Robin, watching 11-year-old Zach play soccer. His cell phone rang. It was Valero who said, “I just want you to know that Shohei Ohtani is a Dodger.”
After more than ten years, those words finally came out. Friedman broke the news to his wife that Ohtani would soon be released to the world. Friedman reached out to the owner and reached out to a key lieutenant on Slack.
And he settled into the range of emotions he was experiencing. I mean, especially considering what happened the day before and how good we were feeling with our conversation. [with the Ohtani camp] And he felt pretty confident, but an hour later, the Blue Jays were destroyed. ”
Friedman said the contract structure is for 10 years and $700 million, but $68 million of the $70 million per year is deferred, meaning the Dodgers aren’t actually stuck financially even after losing it all to the Angels. Ohtani claims that it was his idea to ensure that. Expand your roster to win.
“I wouldn’t have had the courage to suggest that postponed schedule,” he said.
This deal is great for the Dodgers. The deferral will reduce its current value to just over $46 million for luxury tax purposes. Ohtani will be such big business for the Dodgers that much of his contract will be paid for by his presence.
Friedman understood this. He led a Dodgers delegation to Tokyo in February to watch the Japanese team practice in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. Friedman was not only amazed by the pitcher’s talent, but also by the fact that 15,000 to 20,000 enthusiastic fans were watching the workout, many of them wearing MLB paraphernalia from various teams. Ta.
“It was very shattered,” he said. “This started a lot of conversations internally about the potential impact of this country that is so passionate about baseball and the respective MLB teams they root for. “It’s just about what it would be like if we could be a team and the potential impact of that.” After signing with Shohei and all the fuss surrounding it, I heard how difficult it was to keep Dodgers hats in stock at Japanese stores.
“From our standpoint, this deal was about the level of talent we added and the impact that would have on our championship odds. This is the potential tail of our value. [in Japan] He was a die-hard Dodgers fan, but he became a really good player in NPB. [Nippon Professional Baseball]And in an ideal world, they want to be Dodgers to play in Major League Baseball. ”
The Dodgers are already feeling some of that, as Ohtani’s addition was a factor in their acquisition of Yoshinobu Yamamoto — well, that and $325 million. But the Dodgers also wonder what Friedman’s other obsession with the organization was. After all, once he has landed one big fish, he will board the next Moby Dick.
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