Dodgers introduce Snell: ‘If you can’t beat him, just have him join us’

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is happy left-handed ace Blake Snell will be pitching for Los Angeles after giving the team fits for years on opposing clubs.

“If you can’t beat him, just have him join us,” Friedman said Tuesday at Snell’s introductory press conference, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Snell, who signed a five-year, $182-million contract to join the Dodgers, owns a career 2.62 ERA with 1.06 WHIP and 86 strikeouts over 68 2/3 innings (14 starts) against his new team.

Friedman believes the 31-year-old has the ability to reach another level in L.A.

“Blake has won two Cy Youngs,” Friedman said, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “We feel there is potentially room for more there. Just the continued maturation, development, his strong desire to win and be great, and how well that fits into our culture, we felt this was a perfect match.”

Friedman also acknowledged adding Snell to the team’s rotation bolsters its odds of winning back-to-back World Series.

“What’s really difficult (is) to win,” the 48-year-old executive said. “What’s even harder to do is to repeat. Our players, coaching staff, everyone is of the mind, let’s run it back, let’s do everything we can to win, so everything for us was, what puts us in the best position to do that?”

Meanwhile, Snell is excited to join the Dodgers after losing to them in the 2020 Fall Classic while he was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

“It’s fun to know you’re joining a team with that experience,” Snell said. “Being able to learn from that, I’m excited. I’ve been there. I failed. They’ve been there. They’ve succeeded. Want to do what I can do to help get them to World Series.”

Snell’s pact includes $66 million in deferred money payable through 2046.

“It just played out the way people around me felt comfortable with, I felt comfortable with … I’m more focused on playing than money,” Snell added.

Snell said he’ll wear No. 7 with Los Angeles because No. 4 is retired after belonging to Hall of Famer Duke Snider.

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