Dodgers: Andrew Friedman Builds Bullpens so Trust the Process

There will always be fans who have something to complain about, it is inevitable. There will always be fans who disagree with how a general manager builds his team, and in the case of Dodgers’ general manager, Andrew Friedman, the hate and disagreeing is constant.

But, what often goes unnoticed, especially in the past three seasons, is how excellent the Dodgers bullpen is. Andrew Friedman knows how to build a bullpen, and for that reason, it is time for fans to trust the process.

There were cases where Friedman deserved the pushback. He has passed up on free agents that the team could have signed or missed the boat on trades they could have made but a constant with Friedman has been his exceptional ability to build a bullpen.

Over the course of Friedman’s tenure with the Dodgers fans have been graced with the presence of some excellent relief pitching. Kenley Jansen, the product of Ned Colletti, has lead the group but surrounding him with good pitching was the work of Friedman. Players like Joe Blanton, Brandon Morrow, Adam Liberatore, Luis Avilan, and Josh Fields are examples of players added by Friedman. These guys joined the team and before they were Dodgers the fans thought they were nobodies.

But, as always, Friedman knew. He has gone out of his way to add players that may be under the radar and he has proven that he can make that work. The Dodgers bullpen remains one of the most inexpensive pens in the league and despite a lack of spending their bullpen is also one of the best in the league.

Here are how Friedman built bullpens have ranked since he joined the Dodgers at the end of 2014:

(Ranks out of all MLB teams)

2015 – 3.91 ERA (19th) , 3.43 FIP (26th), 4.3 WAR (9th)

2016 – 3.35 ERA (1st) , 3.55 FIP (4th), 6.4 WAR (4th)

2017 – 3.38 ERA (4th) , 3.55 FIP (3rd), 7.6 WAR (3rd)

While the 2015 bullpen was not very good, Friedman got to work in the following seasons and transformed the Dodger bullpen into a top 4 bullpen in all of baseball.

The point of this article was not necessarily to prove Friedman’s success as the numbers do that for him. Rather, the focus here was to turn the attention on the fans who want more for the bullpen, the fans that want trades, free agents, or the removal of certain players from the roster.

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The Dodgers bullpen is perfect the way it is. Whether the team puts seven or eight pitchers on the roster, there is really nothing to worry about. The bullpen, the way it is now, is inexpensive. Keeping the pen cost effective is brilliant given the team’s already large payroll and desire to be competitive in the coming free agency. The bullpen now is effective. Since 2015 the Dodgers bullpen has ranked in the top five of all teams in the league in ERA and bullpen effectiveness.

So, through the complaints and fantasy trades, the Dodgers front office has gone season after season of excellence. The under the radar strategy is working, and it is nothing to worry about so to that I say trust the process. But, what would this bullpen article be if I did not talk about Pedro Baez?

I’ll start this touchy subject by saying I get it. Pedro Baez may not be the most desirable reliever, and at times he is very far from it. But, as many poor performances as he may come up with all roads lead back to the Friedman and his track record of relief pitching excellence. If Baez is still here, there is a reason. Dave Roberts, under the guidance of the executives, has managed the bullpen in a way that places players in games based on how effective they are in that given situation.

Baez is not great, but he does get the job done, and if Friedman wanted him gone, it would have happened a long time ago. This is not an excuse for Baez to play poorly but rather quite the opposite. With good play, Baez will be rewarded with more usage, and if he is poor, the front office will manage him with fewer innings or even an option to the minors.

Next: A case for and against every Dodger left fielder

The moral of the story is this, Andrew Friedman is a professional in what he does, and he has been doing it for over a decade. Fans need to trust the process with the bullpen because he, unlike many other GMs knows very well how to assemble a relief group.