WEBVTT - Andrew Friedman (12-12-25)

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<v Speaker 1>And now an exclusive interview with David Bassey for Dodger Talker.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to Dodger Talk We are on until eight

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<v Speaker 1>o'clock tonight here on a five seventy LA Sports. And

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<v Speaker 1>Andrew Friedman has made it back from Orlando today the

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<v Speaker 1>introductory press conference with Edwin Diaz and Andrew.

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<v Speaker 2>Edwin Abby a work ethic and he really wants to win.

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<v Speaker 2>You saw it today, We've seen it over the years

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<v Speaker 2>with his willingness to come in in the fourth inning,

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<v Speaker 2>fifth inning, sixth inning to try to you know, when

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<v Speaker 2>we were beating the Mets last year in the CS,

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<v Speaker 2>he would come in early to try to stop the bleeding,

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<v Speaker 2>just to give them a chance to come back. And

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<v Speaker 2>last weekend of the year this year against the Marlins,

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<v Speaker 2>that Sunday game, which was a must win for them,

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<v Speaker 2>coming in in the fourth, just the selflessness to win.

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<v Speaker 2>And it fits in so well with so many of

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<v Speaker 2>our guys. So the talent fits really well. The human

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<v Speaker 2>what kind of worker he is, how much he cares

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<v Speaker 2>also works fits really well.

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<v Speaker 1>Did you believe you had a very good chance of

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<v Speaker 1>signing das.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, obviously he was top of our list coming

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<v Speaker 2>into the off season, but just thought the chances were

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<v Speaker 2>pretty remote, so it didn't spend a ton of time

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<v Speaker 2>other than express interest. We have a lot of interests,

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<v Speaker 2>so we kind of kept in touch with them, but

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<v Speaker 2>all the while just thinking, hey, the likelihood of this

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<v Speaker 2>is pretty low. Then when the Mets signed Devin Williams

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<v Speaker 2>five minutes later, I called the agent and and there

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<v Speaker 2>was more of an opening than I had since before,

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<v Speaker 2>which gave us some encouragement, but still felt like it's unlikely,

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<v Speaker 2>so putting an offer that night or maybe the next night,

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<v Speaker 2>and then don't really hear anything until that Saturday, right

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<v Speaker 2>before the Winter meetings, and they give us some feedback,

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<v Speaker 2>and so we started talking Sunday into Monday, and still

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<v Speaker 2>all along I'm like, I just you know, it's gonna

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<v Speaker 2>be hard for him to cut the cord with New York.

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<v Speaker 2>Can't see New York letting them go. But through the

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<v Speaker 2>conversations Monday night, late Monday night into Tuesday morning, felt

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<v Speaker 2>like the chances were actually way better than I was

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<v Speaker 2>giving credit for. And then we got into how do

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<v Speaker 2>we close this deal mode? And fortunately we're able to

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<v Speaker 2>push it across.

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<v Speaker 1>At this point, you've built back to back world series championships.

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<v Speaker 1>You're going for a three pete at this point in

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<v Speaker 1>your position. When you're signing players and them deciding whether

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<v Speaker 1>or not they are going to sign with the Dodgers,

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<v Speaker 1>like Diaz, doesn't it say something about the player that

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<v Speaker 1>they want in on this And conversely for players that

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<v Speaker 1>shy away from it, doesn't it say something about them?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think there's a real, you know, kind of

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<v Speaker 2>selection bias that we get some insights into guys that

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<v Speaker 2>we haven't had before as players. Because there's a lot

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<v Speaker 2>that comes with it, and you have fifty plus thousand

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<v Speaker 2>people every night, you feel that responsibility. There's the highest

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<v Speaker 2>of expectations, and so it's not for everybody, and the

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<v Speaker 2>people who it's not we'd rather not sign and so

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<v Speaker 2>hopefully we're able to kind of sift through that. But

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<v Speaker 2>I think a lot of it also is that in

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<v Speaker 2>our conversations with guys this winner, it's conveying how hungry

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<v Speaker 2>we are to do it again, because I think there

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<v Speaker 2>would be some concern of Okay, they've won. No, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>they've won twice in a row. Does that mean they're

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<v Speaker 2>going to put their feet up and hope for the best.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's conveying and making sure to sell that point

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<v Speaker 2>of just how committed we are to doing everything we

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<v Speaker 2>can to win again in twenty twenty six.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you believe is next for you this offseason?

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<v Speaker 1>Do you want to add more as far as trying

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<v Speaker 1>to help your position player group? What do you see

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<v Speaker 1>in the near future.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think adding a bat would be great, and

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<v Speaker 2>it would just take some pressure off some of our

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<v Speaker 2>younger guys. That being said, things happen over the course

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<v Speaker 2>of the season and getting our younger guys sim at

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<v Speaker 2>bats is going to be really important. Things play out

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<v Speaker 2>in that way. But I think just building out the

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<v Speaker 2>depth more, adding a really interesting kind of position player

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<v Speaker 2>that fits into our group really well is very high

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<v Speaker 2>on the list.

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<v Speaker 1>How much do you look at some of your guys

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<v Speaker 1>that have put so much of their body through it

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<v Speaker 1>the last couple of years and are starting to get

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<v Speaker 1>to their mid thirties and late thirties. How much is

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<v Speaker 1>that on the forefront of your mind to try to

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<v Speaker 1>supplement with some younger guys.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, I think there's looking at it in

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<v Speaker 2>a couple different ways. I mean, if you're just focused

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<v Speaker 2>on twenty twenty six, I'm not that worried about it.

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<v Speaker 2>It's so important to us who we sign a long

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<v Speaker 2>term deal with in that we know that we are

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<v Speaker 2>going to get everything out of that player. So they're

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<v Speaker 2>gonna work really hard over the winner. They're gonna compete

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<v Speaker 2>and they're gonna lay it out on the line to

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<v Speaker 2>try to win. And we've got a whole clubhouse of

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<v Speaker 2>guys that are playing for each other, they're playing for

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<v Speaker 2>this city, that are playing for their legacy, that are

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<v Speaker 2>playing to create a dynasty. And it is really hard

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<v Speaker 2>to win back to back and it takes that mentality

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<v Speaker 2>to do it, and that mentality is still really strong.

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<v Speaker 2>So for us, it's about adding guys that can add

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<v Speaker 2>to that. But the core in the group we have

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<v Speaker 2>in place, we feel like is really strong.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm glad you brought that up because Max Munsey, Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>you might have a future in this business. Hey, how

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<v Speaker 1>how have you celebrated since the end of the World Series.

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<v Speaker 1>I haven't seen you since the parade? Has there been

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<v Speaker 1>much of a victory lap Brand and Drew Friedman? Did

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<v Speaker 1>your wife throw you a party at the house? I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>what's going on?

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<v Speaker 2>The celebration? The parade itself was incredible, just both years.

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<v Speaker 2>That day is so fulfilling and incredibly impactful, and it

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<v Speaker 2>really is, like it sounds cheesy, but it's like fuel

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<v Speaker 2>to get back there. It really is. That's how special

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<v Speaker 2>that day is. The energy, the joy, you can feel it,

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<v Speaker 2>and it's something that really is fuel to do everything

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<v Speaker 2>we can to get back to it. But we got

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<v Speaker 2>to celebrate by turning around and going to the gm ME,

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, no real time for us on our end,

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<v Speaker 2>and other teams head start preparing for the winner, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>but I can't complain much because our goal is to

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<v Speaker 2>have the least amount of time to prepare. So we've

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<v Speaker 2>been playing catch up and just trying to make sure

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<v Speaker 2>that we're not missing opportunities, and so it's been right

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<v Speaker 2>back at it now. I would love to knock out

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<v Speaker 2>a few of the things that we'd like to and

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<v Speaker 2>have a little break going into spring training, but we'll see.

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<v Speaker 1>We always ask the question about what keeps players hungry.

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<v Speaker 1>You've had an incredible career, You've accomplished more things than

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<v Speaker 1>some have. After being out of the game for ten

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<v Speaker 1>years now, back to back World Series championships, how do

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<v Speaker 1>you stay hungry and do you ever feel like I've

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<v Speaker 1>done it all. Do I need a new challenge?

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<v Speaker 2>No? I mean, I think for us winning is so

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<v Speaker 2>incredibly difficult, it's so fulfilling, and we feel an immense

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<v Speaker 2>pressure from our fans. What they pour into us is

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<v Speaker 2>unprecedented and clearing four million this year. The passion that

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<v Speaker 2>this city has for this team makes us feel a

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<v Speaker 2>great sense of responsibility to return it and to be

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<v Speaker 2>as good as we can possibly be. And we've talked

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<v Speaker 2>about this a lot, but that goal and it's hard

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<v Speaker 2>when you're mired in it to have appreciation. But for

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<v Speaker 2>us to look back after I get fired, things change whatever,

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<v Speaker 2>to look back and say that was a golden era

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<v Speaker 2>of Dodgers baseball. And so that is a very real

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<v Speaker 2>motivating factor for us, is you know, nineteen eighty eight

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<v Speaker 2>to twenty twenty was a long time and to do

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<v Speaker 2>everything we can to keep pouring in and keep this

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<v Speaker 2>momentum going and hopefully add you know, more and more

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<v Speaker 2>up there and have to clear out room for the banners.

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<v Speaker 2>But I think just the sense of responsibility we have

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<v Speaker 2>is a very real driving factor.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, So that's good news for Dodger fans. Andrew

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<v Speaker 1>Friedman's not going anywhere. But if you're a Dodger fan,

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<v Speaker 1>you're likely a Laker fan. And there was the news

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<v Speaker 1>that you're helping out the Lakers a little bit. So

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<v Speaker 1>what's the role, what's the balance for you between these

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<v Speaker 1>two incredible franchises.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean I've got a pretty full time job

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<v Speaker 2>as is. I think it's more we're all under you know,

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<v Speaker 2>Mark Walters TWG umbrella, and it's about helping one another

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<v Speaker 2>and as things are coming up and we can be

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<v Speaker 2>a resource for one another. It's not often that you're

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<v Speaker 2>able to do that and kind of lean on other

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<v Speaker 2>teams and other sports. You know, there's sharing of information

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<v Speaker 2>of how we do our scouting process or how they do,

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<v Speaker 2>or how we've set up certain systems or them. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>have spent some real time with you know, Rob and

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<v Speaker 2>his team, and you know they've done a great job,

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<v Speaker 2>gotten off to a great start. But I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>more just us all being a resource for one another

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<v Speaker 2>and you know, helping anything that's kind of under that

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<v Speaker 2>TWG umbrella to be as good as it can be.

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<v Speaker 1>So the Lakers are basically your side hustle. Hey, thanks

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<v Speaker 1>a lot for the time. It's great catching up up

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<v Speaker 1>with you and look forward to doing this a few

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<v Speaker 1>more times during the off season because you're always you're

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<v Speaker 1>always big game hunting, So we'll see you soon.

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<v Speaker 2>You as well, And I'm just glad because I was

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<v Speaker 2>concerned that after you landed the Brian Cranston interview that

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<v Speaker 2>you wouldn't slum it with me anymore. So I'm just

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<v Speaker 2>happy that you're still slumming it.

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<v Speaker 1>Have you heard Cranston's trade ideas like this guy's plugged

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<v Speaker 1>into your minor league system all the way in London.

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<v Speaker 2>That's great. I haven't heard it yet, but I did

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<v Speaker 2>see a couple of fans point out that his knowledge

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<v Speaker 2>of some of our deeper minor league guys was impressive.

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<v Speaker 1>And you heard about Elizabeth Olsen having a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>of a crush on me as well.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, she's only a human, all right.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll take that. Thanks a lot for the time, great

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<v Speaker 1>to see you, and happy holidays.

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<v Speaker 2>And to you. Thanks Dave.