In one fell swoop, this gives the Dodgers a very sharp baseball mind as their GM and it might destroy the Rays' hopes of being competitive.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
What happened to the thing where you're not allowed to announce front office moves during days where games are being played?
There's going to be so much comparison to Paul DePodesta's run as Dodgers GM. (I hope Friedman goes out of his ways to embrace the local media right away. And DePodesta should probably let all calls go thru to voicemail for the next couple weeks.) There's probably more willingness to embrace new ideas now than there was at point, but it seems like more money committed right now. The Dodgers have more money overall to work with, but that difference is actually smaller than given how little of that money isn't already being used (and there was a sense they were cutting salary going into next season already.) They also do have Kershaw and Puig* so that's a good start, but there are some salary dump moves on the way and that's not something he was used to doing with the Rays. Not all skills transfer the same and he's got a lot shorter rope.
* - and since everyone reporting on the Dodgers kept hinting about problems with "strong personalities" and implying it was Puig being Manny issue, how Friedman handles him might end up being the biggest decision. Or it may just come down to a few good relief outings next October. It's taken a few decades, but I've released being a sports GM is kind of an insane job.
The Rays have a lot of smart people, hopefully some of them stay behind for that franchise's sake.
At last check, the Bosox were down 7-2 to the Chisox. If they win, and win out, and the Kurt Angels lose out, it is Minnesota at Da Bronx, and Da Sawx at Oakland...that would be kinda cool. I am actually rooting for Boston for the first time ever!
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