Andrew Friedman
Andrew Friedman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Baseball executive |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers; former GM of the Tampa Bay Rays |
Andrew Friedman is a prominent American executive in professional baseball, currently holding the position of president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he served as the general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, where he was honored with the Sporting News Executive of the Year accolade in 2008. That same year, the Rays made their inaugural appearance in the World Series. Since his arrival at the Dodgers following the 2014 season, Friedman has guided the team to two World Series championships (2020, 2024), four National League pennants, and eight division titles. His leadership has earned recognition from Baseball America, which has praised the Dodgers as an exemplary franchise in player development.
Early and personal life
Friedman was born in Houston and is of Jewish heritage. His father, J. Kent Friedman, was both an attorney and a former baseball player at Tulane University. Andrew attended Episcopal High School in Houston, where he played center field and served as the leadoff hitter.
He secured a baseball scholarship to attend Tulane University, playing center field until injuries curtailed his playing career. Friedman graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science degree in management and finance from Tulane's Freeman School of Business.
Before entering baseball management, Friedman worked as a financial analyst at Bear Stearns from 1999 to 2002, followed by a role as an associate at MidMark Capital, a private equity firm, from 2002 to 2004.
He lives in Pasadena, California with his wife Robin and their three children.
Tampa Bay Rays
Friedman connected with new Rays owner Stuart Sternberg in 2003; they shared aligned visions for the franchise’s future. Between 2004 and 2005, he held the role of director of baseball development before advancing to executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager at just 28 years old, succeeding fired first GM Chuck LaMar.
He transformed the Rays organization, leading them to their first playoff berth and an appearance in the 2008 World Series. That year, Friedman received Sporting News Baseball Executive of the Year honors. Under his guidance, Tampa Bay also reached postseason play in 2010, 2011, and 2013.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On October 14, 2014, Friedman transitioned to become President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers. His reported five-year contract valued at $35 million established him as MLB’s highest-paid executive at that time. Team president Stan Kasten lauded him as one of baseball’s most innovative young executives.
Friedman assembled a front office with significant general manager experience by hiring former Oakland Athletics executive Farhan Zaidi as GM and bringing aboard ex-Padres GM Josh Byrnes as vice president of baseball operations.
During his initial offseason, Friedman overhauled the roster by trading or releasing veterans such as Hanley Ramírez and Matt Kemp while acquiring key contributors like catcher Yasmani Grandal, infielders Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins, plus pitchers Brett Anderson and Mike Bolsinger. The Dodgers secured their third consecutive National League West division title in 2015 but were eliminated in the NLDS.
Following the 2015 season, MLB imposed a record $43 million luxury tax on the Dodgers due to their nearly $300 million payroll. Friedman replaced manager Don Mattingly with former Dodgers outfielder Dave Roberts. Despite losing ace Zack Greinke to free agency, he signed pitchers Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda and completed a three-team trade acquiring outfielder Trayce Thompson. The team won its fourth straight division crown in 2016 but fell short in the NLCS.
After 2016, Friedman prioritized re-signing key free agents over major external acquisitions. In 2017, strategic trades brought Yu Darvish, Tony Watson, and Tony Cingrani to Los Angeles. The Dodgers captured their fifth consecutive NL West title and reached their first World Series since 1988 but were defeated in seven games. That year, Baseball America named them Organization of the Year.
In 2018, after a sluggish start to the season, Friedman's Dodgers rallied to win their sixth straight division title following a playoff victory against Colorado. To bolster their lineup after Corey Seager’s injury, they acquired Manny Machado at the trade deadline. The team won its second consecutive National League pennant but lost to Boston in the World Series.
The Dodgers clinched their seventh consecutive NL West title in 2019 while setting a franchise record with 106 wins; however, they were ousted by eventual champions Washington in the NLDS. During the offseason spanning 2019–2020, Friedman orchestrated a trade for All-Star Mookie Betts and signed him to a record-setting 12-year, $365 million contract—the largest deal he has ever negotiated. The abbreviated 2020 campaign concluded with Los Angeles winning their first World Series championship in 32 years against Friedman’s former team, Tampa Bay. He earned Executive of the Year distinctions from both MLB and Baseball America; additionally, Baseball America again recognized the Dodgers as Organization of the Year.
From 2021 through 2023, although maintaining strong regular-season performances, the Dodgers faced early eliminations during postseason play.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Friedman secured two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani with a groundbreaking 10-year contract worth $700 million and signed Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year deal valued at $325 million that included a $50.625 million posting fee. Further offseason moves involved acquiring outfielder Teoscar Hernandez via free agency and trading for All-Star pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
Ohtani earned National League MVP honors while becoming MLB’s first player to achieve both 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases within a single season. The Dodgers captured their eighth franchise World Series championship—and second within this decade.
Friedman’s approach emphasizes retaining homegrown players such as Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Julio Urias, and Walker Buehler while selectively trading prospects for impactful veterans including Rich Hill, Yu Darvish, Manny Machado, Mookie Betts, and Jack Flaherty—striking a balance between competitive performance and manageable payroll commitments. Los Angeles consistently fields one of MLB’s top farm systems; in 2020 Baseball America hailed them as baseball’s premier organizational model.
Management and Coaching Lineage
Friedman has played a pivotal role in shaping a significant number of accomplished baseball executives and coaches. Among the distinguished executives are Chaim Bloom, who previously served as Chief Baseball Officer for the Boston Red Sox and is set to become President of Baseball Operations for the St. Louis Cardinals; James Click, former General Manager of the Houston Astros and currently Vice President with the Toronto Blue Jays; Alex Anthopoulos, serving as GM and president of baseball operations for the Atlanta Braves; Farhan Zaidi, who was president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants; Matt Arnold, General Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers; Erik Neander, holding the roles of senior VP of baseball operations and GM for the Tampa Bay Rays; and Peter Bendix, president of baseball operations for the Miami Marlins.
Among notable managers and coaches are Dave Roberts, who has managed the Dodgers since 2016; Joe Maddon, who led the Rays during Friedman's tenure and later managed both the Cubs and Angels; Dave Martinez, manager of the Washington Nationals and former Rays bench coach under Maddon; Charlie Montoyo, who managed the Toronto Blue Jays from 2015 to 2018 after coaching under Maddon; Rocco Baldelli, previously a special assistant to Friedman and now manager of the Minnesota Twins; Gabe Kapler, former manager of the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants, who acted as Dodgers farm director from 2015 to 2017; and in 2024, Clayton McCullough was appointed Miami Marlins manager following four years as first base coach for the Dodgers.
During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, every executive leading the final four postseason teams had been part of Friedman's professional network at some stage in their careers.