Andrew Friedman Expects Blake Snell to Be Even Better With Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers made the biggest splash of the winter so far in signing Blake Snell. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman believes Snell will reach new heights among the stars of Hollywood.
“With a guy that’s enjoyed that much success, usually in major league free agency, you’re buying the back-side of a guy’s career, the accomplishments that they have had,” Friedman said. “With Blake, one thing that’s really exciting for us is, for as much success as he’s had, we feel like there’s more in there and a lot of upside beyond what he’s done to this point, and the impact that can have on us and our quest to win a World Series this year, and as many years as we can see out.”
Snell, 32, is inching closer to veteran status. The southpaw has dealt with some injury issues in the past, landing on the injured list twice in 2024 with the San Francisco Giants. However, his trying season in the Bay has helped propel Snell for this next chapter with the Dodgers.
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“I think the first half this year, I learned a lot,” Snell said. “I was trying to push through some things to see where I was, trying to get better, and failed. And from that point moving forward, it really helped me. Usually, when I get in the rhythm, I can really take that into the rest of the season. So just learning through those first two hiccups, and then as I started in the end of June, early July, somewhere in there, I was really confident from my rehab starts going into that, I was like, ‘Okay, kind of take this all away’ and started dominating.”
It wasn’t until the ninth year of his career that Snell pitched a no-hitter. In August, Snell delivered the career feat against the Cincinnati Reds. Over his first six starts in San Francisco, Snell recorded a 9.51 ERA. In his return from a second stint on the injured list, the left-hander was able to toss the first no-no of his career.
The Dodgers have a reputation for transforming pitchers and elevating their performance. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think they’d take Snell’s game to another level in the coming years.
Photo Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
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