Andrew Friedman is taking his boy wonder skills to Hollywood.
The Los Angeles Dodgers came calling and the Tampa Bay Rays general manager quickly accepted.
The Rays announced via a press release today that Friedman has left the organization for the Dodgers, replacing Ned Colletti, who had been the Dodgers' GM since 2005. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelbourne, Colletti will stay with the club as a senior advisor to team president Stan Kasten.
"Andrew Friedman is one of the youngest and brightest minds in the game today and we are very fortunate to have him join our organization," Kasten said. "The success he has had over the past nine years in molding the Tampa Bay team has been incredible."
Colletti's job was in peril after the Dodgers got bounced in the NLCS last season and the NLDS this year.
Friedman, 37, will now be able to work his genius with a whole different type of bankroll. After miraculously constructing the Rays into a perennial postseason player (albeit the dismal performance this season), Friedman will go from a Rays' payroll of $82 million — the Major League's sixth-lowest — to a Dodgers' payroll that was $241 million this season, the highest in the league.
In a series of executive leadership changes, current Rays President Matt Silverman will now serve as president of baseball operations, and Rays Senior Vice President of Business Operations Brian Auld will assume the duties of team president.
“I thank Andrew for all he has done for the Rays organization. We have enjoyed great success together, and that’s largely due to the deep and talented organization that Andrew has helped to assemble both on and off the field,” Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg said.
Under Friedman, who became the Rays GM in 2005 at age 28, the Rays made the playoffs four times, including a 2008 World Series loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. In years past, Friedman had been courted by the Angels, Astros, and Cubs, saying no each time.
“As I embark upon my next journey, I have only thanks and gratitude to the Rays organization and the Tampa Bay region for a wonderful 10 years together. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of something so special and for the passion and support of this exceptional fan base,” said Friedman. “The Rays organization is loaded with talent from ownership to players and everyone between. We were able to create together an unbelievable culture that no doubt will continue, and I am absolutely confident that the successes we achieved will continue into the future.”
Sternberg is confident the team is in good hands, though.
“While we will miss Andrew, we have prepared ourselves for this possibility, and I have great faith in Matt and Brian in their new roles," Sternberg said.
Silverman joined the Rays in 2004 as director of strategic planning and has served as team president since Sternberg became principal owner in October 2005.
“Andrew, Stu and I first started talking about working together back in 2003. I could not have imagined then what we’ve experienced since. Those memories as well as our friendship will last a lifetime,” said Silverman. “Throughout our organization, we have tremendous talent, camaraderie and dedication. I've had the pleasure of working closely with our baseball staff for years alongside Andrew, and I’m looking forward to our new work together as we strive to get back to our winning ways.”
Auld joined the Rays in 2005 and has been a senior vice president since 2006, during which time he has managed virtually every facet of business operations for the organization. As team president, he will work closely with Sternberg in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization.
“For nearly 10 years, I have had the pleasure of working alongside and being mentored by Matt and Stu. Their leadership has made our business synonymous with intelligence and integrity, and I will work hard to live up to that well-deserved reputation,” said Auld. “The Rays executive team is among the longest tenured and very best in sports. I can't emphasize enough how fortunate I am to have their support as we look ahead to the future.”
