Dodgers Interview: Friedman on Why Snell was so High on his To-Do List

MILWAUKEE — The NLCS stage brings big rosters, bigger questions, and one constant: Andrew Friedman keeping things plain and measured. Before Game 1 in Milwaukee, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations talked about the Brewers’ build, the sting of going 0–6 in the regular season, why Blake Snell was their top winter target, and how this October staff was assembled to last. He also addressed Clayton Kershaw’s new role and why Shohei Ohtani’s NLDS at-bats should be judged in context.

“The Brewers are a really good team,” Friedman said. “Team speed, defense, they don’t chase, put the ball in play. They do a lot of things well.” He tipped his cap to their structure. “The depth of their roster really helps them withstand 162 games and puts them in position to be a really competitive team in October,” he said. “I’ve known Matt Arnold for a long time. What him and his team have done is incredible. The attention to detail, the way the roster fits together, it’s really impressive.”

On the head-to-head this year, he didn’t sugarcoat it. “We’re just looking to win a game against them,” he said. “Going 0 and 6 in the regular season and we earned it. We deserved it.” The how mattered. “They pitched really well against us. We didn’t have our typical approach and game plan,” he said. “They got us off that a little bit, which is helpful to have lived through and seen.” Context still counts. “We also weren’t at full strength when we went in there,” he added, before setting the tone for October. “Their pitching staff is really good, and coming off a series against a really good pitching staff, runs are going to be at a premium. Fortunately for us, we feel like our pitching staff’s really good as well.”

Asked what he saw in Arnold back in Tampa Bay, Friedman kept the praise specific. “He’s a great evaluator,” he said. “Really creative, incredibly hardworking, curious. Watching him continue to grow and develop has been fun to watch.” Then a wry nod to this matchup: “Less fun those six games that we couldn’t win against him this year.”

Why Snell, when the Dodgers already had arms? The answer began years ago. “I’ve known Blake for a long time and watched that maturation over a 12-year period,” Friedman said. “We felt strongly that not only could he help us in the regular season, but what he would bring to our staff in October.” He described a pitcher built for the moment. “Everyone wants to pitch in October. For some it’s part of their identity and what they yearn for,” he said. “Blake is one of those guys. He loves those moments. Betting on the pitcher, the head, how much he cares, he was the number one target for us this offseason.”

The conversation turned to the difficulty of repeating. “I haven’t really had a chance to rise above the 2025 season to assess,” Friedman said, “but there were definitely some challenging moments.” Two pitfalls were on his mind last winter. “One was how our guys are wired and that complacency wasn’t going to set in,” he said. “The second was usually if you’re the last team standing, you’ve used a lot of your pitching very aggressively. We didn’t really have that in the conventional way, so adding some fresh arms we thought would be helpful.”

What small-market clubs must nail to sustain runs? He went back to fundamentals. “Every market has its own unique challenges,” he said. “Knowing who you are and what you need to do to have success, staying true to who you are, and having a group that works really well together is critical.” He emphasized process over hype. “Collaboration throughout departments matters because you have to do it in a less conventional way,” he said. “Identify and lean into the strengths and advantages you do have.”

Kershaw’s transition came up next. “The outing he had against the Phillies, it had been a long period between throwing and it’s a different role,” Friedman said. “He would never make that excuse, but it was very uncharacteristic command from him, and you think of command and you think of Clayton Kershaw.” The belief hasn’t wavered. “Him having experienced that will be helpful,” he said. “His mindset has been, I want to do whatever I can to help us win. I would bet on him to be a part of helping us win this series.”

Why Ben Kasparius for this round? “Ben was big for us this year,” Friedman said. “He had gotten off track a little bit, so we sent him down and challenged him with what to work on and he did.” The response mattered to the front office. “You can go one of two ways when those moments happen,” he said. “He chose the path of attacking what we laid out and put himself in a really good spot. We had a lot of good choices, but felt like Ben was the right one for us.”

Ohtani’s NLDS was the final thread, framed by the pitching he saw. “The stuff the Phillies threw at us was really good, but beyond that the execution was as good as it can possibly be,” Friedman said. “If a pitcher who has really good stuff executes at an A-plus level, hitters aren’t going to hit.” He brought it back to the reality of the job. “Hitting is way too difficult. It’s about hitting mistakes more than not,” he said. “They executed on him at an elite rate. Could some swing decisions help and potentially get a mistake? For sure. But it was the most impressive execution against a hitter I’ve ever seen.”

In the end, Friedman’s pregame message was steady.“We’re just looking to win a game against them,” he said, acknowledging both the 0–6 bruise and the lessons it taught. “Runs are going to be at a premium,” he added, comfortable with that equation because of how this staff was built. And on a night when narratives tug in every direction, he kept the compass simple: know who you are, lean into it, and trust the arms you assembled for this exact month.

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