Hour 1: Sonny & Chair (feat. Andrew Friedman)

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: Sonny & Chair (feat. Andrew Friedman)
Date: February 18, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

The first hour of this episode delivers the trademark blend of humor, pop-culture banter, and sports analysis that listeners expect from Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew. The episode moves from comedic wrestling antics among show regulars to an in-depth, candid interview with Los Angeles Dodgers’ President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman. The discussion spans his transformative influence on baseball, the inner mechanics of the Dodgers’ front office, the Shohei Ohtani deal, and the ongoing debate about payroll, fairness, and fulfillment in sports.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wrestling Antics: 'Sonny & Chair' and the Legion of Spoons

(00:08–08:10)

• The show opens with a colorful recap of the staff's wrestling alter-egos, chaotic on-air antics, and faux-grappling matches, with Chris Cody and Zaslow in extended character.
• Dan and Stugotz riff on the sports world's imperfections, with lines blurring between sports commentary and over-the-top staged entertainment.
• Notable moment: Chris Cody takes a comical chair shot, launching an extended bit about "Sonny and Chair."
• Memorable Quote:
  • “I'm about 60 seconds away from tearing a hamstring.” – Stugotz (01:53)
  • “Chris ate that chair shot.” – Dan (05:37)

2. Quick Hits – Hockey and International Competition

(08:23–11:21)

• Transitioning out of wrestling, hosts check in on current international hockey games, discussing Team USA’s tough matchup against Sweden, the intensity of European crowds, and the unpredictability of international tournaments.
• Commentary centers on the strengths of Swedish and Canadian teams, the importance of NHL talent in Olympic-like settings, and the expectations/pressures facing Team USA.
• Quotes:
  • “Canada is probably going to have the easiest time today, but Finland–Switzerland as well. The Swiss also surprised with the level of NHL talent.” – Dan (09:32)
  • “I think the U.S. has to get past the quarterfinal round with NHL guys playing for the first time since what, 2014, I think." – Chris (11:10)

3. Stanley Cup vs. Olympic Gold — What Means More to Hockey Players?

(11:21–12:10)

• Prompted by Matthew Tkachuk’s comments, the panel debates whether winning gold for your country trumps a Stanley Cup for modern hockey players.
• Dan points out the significance of international pride, citing the Tkachuk family's passion for representing the U.S.

4. Sportsmanship and Trash Talk in Sports Workplaces

(15:34–16:51)

• Dan reflects on the line between personal attacks and gamesmanship, referencing Tkachuk's “always a bridesmaid, never the bride” chirp at Leon Draisaitl in international play.
• Insight into sports culture vs. regular workplaces:
  • “If in any workplace in your life that wasn’t this kind of competitive, someone came by you and said to you, appear always the bridesmaid, huh? ...that person would either never speak to you again or want to fight you.” – Dan (16:23)

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The Main Interview: Andrew Friedman

5. Career Achievements and Perspective on Dodgers’ Success

(17:15–18:20)

• Andrew Friedman, hailed as both innovator and “ruiner” of baseball, joins the show.
• Dan asks if Friedman's meteoric success—nine division titles, five pennants, three World Series in six seasons—exceeded initial expectations.
  • Friedman: “Yeah, I would say that this exceeded. I didn’t necessarily sit down and say, okay, it’s going to be X number of divisions and World Series... it is hard. And there’s, you know, you need to have really talented teams and some good fortune as well.” (17:40)

6. Shohei Ohtani’s Groundbreaking Contract

(18:20–19:33)

• Dan probes the structure of Ohtani’s deferred-contract.
• Friedman reveals the player camp, not Dodgers management, proposed the now-famous contract and his instant willingness to accept the terms.
  • “I wouldn’t have had the guts to propose the contract that we ended up doing with him... Nez Bolello, Shohei’s agent, put together this kind of deal and took it to the three or four teams... In the process of that call, I was like, deal done. We’re in.” – Friedman (18:32)

7. Top Surprising Acquisitions

(19:33–22:20)

• Stugotz asks for Friedman's top three most surprising gets:
  1. Shohei Ohtani (years of pursuit, now realized)
  2. Freddie Freeman (unexpected chance after Braves traded for Matt Olson)
  3. Kyle Tucker (if he had pursued a shorter, high-value deal over a long-term guarantee)
• Insights on modern player decision-making and the unpredictability of free agency.
  • “I think Shohei... that's clearly number one... With Freddy, we just thought the odds of accessing the odds of getting him to leave Atlanta were extremely remote... With Kyle Tucker... we felt confident he had a big $300M+ contract and odds were he was gonna take it.” – Friedman (19:48–21:30)

8. Debate: Is Dodgers Spending “Bad for Baseball”?

(22:20–23:28)

• Responding to criticism, Friedman frames the Dodgers’ astronomical payroll as a positive reinvestment in the franchise and city.
  • “The counterpoint to us having an aggressive payroll is the people who are upset by it just want our owner to pocket more money. Like, I don’t understand the other side of it.” – Friedman (22:57)
  • Emphasizes aggressive investment is about honoring fans and striving for championships.

9. Job Satisfaction: Joy vs. Suffering

(23:28–26:14)

• Dan asks about joy versus misery in high-stakes leadership.
  • “My first year as GM was 2006 with the Devil Rays. Knew we were terrible... At the end of that year, Terry Ryan... steps down. And he said, 'I had just gotten to a point where the losses were killing me and the wins weren't really gratifying.'... I was like, man, I’m in trouble.” – Friedman (23:37)
  • Friedman admits to being a “tortured soul”—getting better at savoring victories, but the pressure never lets up.

10. Collaboration, Challenging Ideas, and Leadership Style

(26:46–27:58)

• Friedman underscores value in dissent, challenging groupthink (“If we're always agreeing, then I'm scared”).
• He intentionally provokes staff to run “pre-mortems,” seeking out how things could go wrong.
  • “When we are disagreeing is when I feel best about how we're proceeding.” – Friedman (27:57)

11. Players Who “Check” Management & Mentorship

(28:00)

• Clayton Kershaw cited as the player most likely to question and challenge leadership—a role Friedman wants Kershaw to reprise as a future Dodgers staff member.

12. Ohtani’s Uniqueness

(30:06–31:11)

• On Ohtani's “modern-day Babe Ruth” reputation:
  • “I think in some crazy ways, [Ohtani is] actually underrated. Just the human brain has a hard time comprehending this... His work ethic, the determination, the focus... the relentless pursuit of being great at not just hitting, but also pitching—it's incredibly impressive.” – Friedman (30:17)

13. The Grind Behind the Glamour

(32:24–34:09)

• Friedman describes the relentless grind of baseball operations and the weight of public scrutiny.
  • “Some are small, some are big, and it is just relentless on a daily basis.” (32:35)
• Dan muses that the playoffs—while rewarding—are driven by fortune as much as talent.

14. Reflection: Rays vs. Dodgers, The Power of Constraints

(35:31–38:10)

• Stugotz asks if winning a title with the Rays would have meant more than with the Dodgers.
  • “Winning there, winning divisions, definitely as is more impactful than winning a division here. I think winning a World Series anywhere is as special as it gets." – Friedman (35:41)
• Praises Peter Bendix, who aims to replicate Tampa’s underdog success with the Miami Marlins.

15. On Competing with the Yankees & Red Sox as a Small Market Club

(38:37–40:13)

• Friedman explains how Yankees and Red Sox would copy innovative Rays ideas, without the front-end trial and error—underscoring the uneven playing field and pressure to “innovate or die” in small markets.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Stugotz (Wrestling bit):

  • “I'm about 60 seconds away from tearing a hamstring.” (01:53)

• Dan (Sports and Pain):

  • "The face that he made suggested because we couldn't see where the knee was, that the knee hadn't hit the butt. The knee had gone straight up the butt..." (06:10)

• Friedman (On Ohtani contract):

  • “I wouldn't have had the guts to propose the contract that we ended up doing with him.” (18:32)

• Friedman (Philosophy):

  • “If we’re always agreeing, then I’m scared... when we are disagreeing is when I feel best about how we’re proceeding.” (27:57)

• Friedman (On joy vs. suffering):

  • "I've definitely gotten better at enjoying the good things, but [I'm] a little tortured soul in that, in some ways." (26:14)

• Friedman (Praise for Peter Bendix):

  • “[Peter] is really bright, he's really bold, and he appreciates that in that division and with those resources, you have to be. If you are doing things the exact same way as the Phillies, the Mets, the Braves, you have no chance." (36:57)

• Friedman (On Ohtani):

  • “I think in some crazy ways, he’s actually underrated... his relentless pursuit of being great at not just hitting, but also pitching and all that entails—it's incredibly impressive.” (30:17)

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Notable Segments by Timestamp

• Wrestling comedy bit: (00:08–08:10)
• International hockey chat: (08:23–11:21)
• Stanley Cup vs. gold medal debate: (11:21–12:10)
• Friedman interview: (17:15–40:13)
  • Ohtani contract discussion: (18:20–19:33)
  • Payroll philosophy: (22:20–23:28)
  • Joy vs. suffering: (23:28–25:14)
  • Leadership and collaboration: (26:46–27:58)
  • Ohtani as player and competitor: (30:06–31:11)
  • Small market struggles: (38:37–40:13)

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Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and self-deprecating
• Blends deep sports knowledge with comedy and vulnerability
• Candid, behind-the-curtain insights from both show regulars and Andrew Friedman

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Summary Takeaway

This jam-packed hour distills why the Dan Le Batard Show remains a must-listen for sports fans—zany comedy, inside-baseball wisdom, earnest debates about what matters in sport and life, and honest conversations with high-profile guests like Andrew Friedman. The insight into baseball operations, the Shohei Ohtani deal, and the eternal grind of winning at the highest level—peppered with memorable lines and Le Batard’s sharp wit—leave listeners both entertained and more informed.

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Transcript

[A]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[B]

Andrew Friedman is going to join us here, and he's basically changed and revolutionized and ruined baseball. He's the president of baseball operations for the Dodgers, and all they've done since he's been there is one. Basically, they changed the game when the Rays were changing the game. And then the Dodgers said, well, we'll do that, but with money. We'll do everything you guys are doing, and with more money than everyone.

[A]

It's like, you know how to do this baseball thing. Why don't you do it over here? For absurd amounts of money, you can win 90 games a year with no budget. What if we gave you the most unlimited budget that's ever existed in American sports?

[B]

Right, so we're going to make fun of him about that and play with him about that, because they really have changed baseball, for better or for worse. I don't know the answer to that, actually. Dynasties generally are pretty good for baseball, but also so is hopefully. And last year, I didn't actually think they were better than the Blue Jays in that series, but it doesn't matter because they won. Oh, you say no now, but I still think the Rams should have been champions in the sport. Now you say it. Now you say that the. The Dodgers. What? Why don't the Dodgers prove it for all time? Because they beat the. The Blue Jays.

[A]

Sports are an imperfect measurement.

[B]

The farty boys. The perfect measurement that we have is out in Delray Sunrise, Pompano, Doral, where we go out right now to Chris Cody. He is still in character. He's been in character for two hours. Zaslow has been in character. They must be exhausted. In character. Chris Cody, take me through what's going on out there. Zazlo loves wrestling. He's been bothering me for years about start a wrestling podcast with me, and now we get to see all of their skills. Chris, where are you with how things are going out there?

[A]

Dan?

[B]

Oh, it's done with all the talking. It's time to get to dancing.

[A]

Beat down time coming up, Dan.

[C]

Beat down?

[B]

Really? Are you fighting? Bill's wearing off. Let's get going with this. Let's get going with it. I'm about 60 seconds away from tearing a hamstring.

[A]

We have so much time left in me.

[B]

All right, go ahead. What. What have you learned from Domino? Go ahead.

[A]

We got.

[B]

We got a. What's this called? A two on one match? No, no, no. This isn't a handicap two on one.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I keep making me come at seven in the morning. I thought I was here. Going to have a healthy training session.

[C]

Repo.

[B]

I haven't had my Cuban cap for the day. Disrespecting my dojo, my facility. Going to catch that healthy beat down. Hey, wait a minute. Sounds racist. That sounds. That sounds. Let's go, let's go.

[A]

All right.

[B]

Get my earpiece out. I can't.

[C]

I can't listen.

[A]

The legion of spoons.

[B]

You ready? Here we go. A cord around his neck. Oh, they're bad guys. My apologies to the audio audience.

[A]

The Irish.

[B]

I would love to do this as just audio until we get to Andrew Friedman and then don't explain it to us. Get him.

[A]

I'm jealous of audio audience only. Imagine what they're seeing in the house. Tag me.

[B]

Tag me. You think you got this?

[A]

Chris waved off Zaz on the top.

[B]

Yes. He lost his bandana. There's your friend. That's right, Chris.

[C]

Come on, come on.

[B]

Make sure he doesn't go to work tomorrow. And come on, get a holder. Come on, cheaters. Come on, come on. Make sure that you p. Don't go. Yes.

[A]

No.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

The hammies might have gone on the atomic drop.

[B]

Thank you. Oh, no.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Domino catches a chair shot.

[B]

Oh, you want to choke me. The robot that we're supposed to have.

[A]

A healthy training session.

[C]

Sonny in chair.

[B]

Welcome to wrestling. Roy, you can't give the Hakeem mix left to Sonny and chair.

[A]

Yes, I can. And I did.

[C]

Roy.

[A]

Two, three.

[B]

Valdez la pita.

[A]

I was actually impressed.

[B]

That was pretty good.

[A]

Chris ate that chair shot.

[B]

I want some slow motion stills. Thank you, guys. Appreciate, Domino, all of your work here. I need to promote again. Actually, I should tell people and you should put on the screen the bash at the Bruise 62. Friday, March 6 Excuse me. That was excellent. I'd love to see the still of when it is that Zaslo got the knee to the butt. When he got the knee.

[A]

The atomic drop.

[B]

Thank you. But for those who do not know.

[A]

His knees went up in the air.

[B]

Yes. Well, the face that he made though, suggested to me that he. What? The face that he made suggested because we couldn't see where the knee was, that the knee hadn't hit the butt. The knee had gone straight up the butt, like that's what it looked like. And the visual, the camera work that was on his direct face. If we can still it, I am ensuring you guys that it is quality photograph that will embarrass him. For a great deal of time. Because it looked like that really hurt. As it would if you were. If that were to happen to you. Domino picked up Zaslo. That cannot be easy. Correct. Even. Even with momentum, we can agree that it would not be easy to pick up Zaslow. Correct.

[A]

Peanut butter and belly.

[B]

Roy. How. Come on, Roy. Sonny and chair.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

That was funny, but. Oh, he's getting just happy. Hakeem Nicks made an appearance. Yeah, Been too long.

[B]

But it was unearned. It was not deserved.

[A]

Defend yourself there, Greg.

[B]

No, he can't defend himself. Sonny and chair. Because Zaslow had been hit with a chair.

[C]

Because my son was holding the chair when I said it. Do I have to explain this?

[B]

You know what? I missed that.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah. There you go. See? Thank you.

[C]

You're. One more time, Roy got it. Roy got it.

[A]

I'll give him another one.

[B]

I did. I did.

[A]

That right there.

[B]

That was a great spot.

[A]

That's when the hammy went. That's when the hammy went. You could see his hand, like, holding exactly where the knee went, which is. Yeah. Zaz is still on the mat, and I don't think he's selling the mid bite express.

[B]

It is my fault. Greg and I deserve a penalty for not understanding how nuanced and great your joke was.

[C]

There you go.

[B]

And so I don't know what my penalty should be.

[C]

I'm $26.

[B]

Well, no major penalty.

[C]

Five minutes.

[B]

Grooming, comedy. So Andrew Friedman. I'll come back to do that, but I'm going to leave for a moment here because I deserve this penalty. It's been a rough show for me in a variety of different ways. So I'm going to just take five minutes off and see if I can gather myself.

[A]

I see you, Dan.

[B]

Stepsister. I tell you, Mr. Toad's wild ride.

[A]

Gives us an opportunity to talk about something that I've wanted to talk about for a couple of days here, which is today is. It just started. They. They just dropped the puck. Canada versus Chechia. But we have an incredible day of hockey.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Right now, Sweden is a very difficult matchup for the US and it allows us to revisit what happened over the weekend. Sunday as a Daytona 500. And those boys were turning left was going on Matthew Tkachuk and them boys took on Germany, headlined by Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oiler, Stanley cup final rival. And cameras and microphones caught Matthew Tkachuk telling Leon Draisaitl something that is just quintessentially Chucky, always a bridesmaid. Never the bride.

[C]

Perfect.

[A]

Matthew Tkachuk doing Matthew Tkachuk things. Now we turn our attention to today's opponent, Sweden, which is going to be a very difficult test. Loads of NHL players on Sweden, chock full of them. This is going to be a very difficult matchup and wouldn't surprise me at all, Roy, if Sweden takes this one. Yeah, that's going to be a tough one.

[C]

And I'm going with the under on this one. I don't think there's going to be a lot of goals scored in this game.

[A]

This one's going to be testy for as well as the US Played, this is a very difficult matchup for them, Sweden. And you couple that with the European crowd in Italy, the German crowd was extraordinary. That was basically a road game for the US you have loads of big time hockey games, big time important players on the ice right now. Canada is probably going to have the easiest time today, but Finland's Switzerland as well. The Swiss also surprised with the level of NHL talent that they have on their roster. This is not the four nations where there were two very clear teams. The Olympics are a little bit different. And I think that the favorites outside of Canada who should do well given their enormous talent disparity, this one's going to be difficult for the U.S. like I said, I'm on Sweden. Money. Moneyline on this one. Minnesota Wrecking Chew and the Slovaks today.

[C]

They railroaded Germany, I'll tell you. I mean, Leon, Dry side.

[A]

Always a bridesmaid. Yeah, gone. Are we in round robin territory or is it kind of losing? Go home.

[B]

No, it's the quarters.

[C]

They're in the quarters right now.

[A]

Yeah, we're in the quarterfinals right now. It'd be disappointing if I told you the US Bowed out in the quarterfinals. This is a great generation for USA Hockey, but I kind of favor the Swedes here. I've made that pretty evident.

[C]

But.

[A]

Would this be characterized as an embarrassment for the United States given what we know about the talent level of Sweden? The fact is, the line is just a 1 1/2 goal spread in this one. I don't think it would be that huge. But people that kind of tangentially follow international hockey are going to be pretty embarrassed if the US don't get past the quarters.

[C]

I think it would be an embarrassment. I think the US has to get past the quarterfinal round with NHL guys playing for the first time since what, 2014, I think. But let me ask you guys this.

[B]

Tkachuk.

[C]

Matthew Tkachuk was asked about comparing a Stanley cup versus a gold medal in the Olympics. And he basically said something to the effect, well, nothing would beat winning gold for your country. Do you think a hockey player looks at a gold medal above the Stanley cup or not?

[A]

I don't know. Like he. Matthew Tkachuk is one of the few people that has authority to speak on the subject, being that he's a part of the team that's been running the sport here for a little bit. The Tkachuk family loves putting on that sweater and the fact that international competition at the Olympic level has been ripped away seemingly from an entire generation of hockey players. I can believe Matthew Tkachuk when he says that. I really do. They are proud to be American faces of the game.

[B]

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[C]

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[B]

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[A]

Hey, everybody, it's Mike Ryan. Now, if you've been following the show, you know I've been traveling, been super busy, been supporting my favorite football team with mixed results, right? Not the greatest hanging so far in 2026. I try to find every excuse in the book. I had one buddy that was trying to invite me out. I wanted to stay in. He's like, come on, let's watch this NBA game. So I go over to his house I watch this NBA game, and guess what? Something amazing happened. He pulled out the Miller lights, and I knew right away I made the right call. Next thing you know, we're toasting, we're celebrating, we're having a great time. We're talking about nostalgia, we're talking about old friends that we had. And it was all thanks to Miller Lite, that icebreaker. Because when you actually say yes and you actually show up, you want a beer that fits the moment. For me, that's Miller Lite Legendary moments. Start with Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[B]

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[C]

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[C]

That kind of swing, that kind of thing.

[A]

Stugats. Oh, it's a good call.

[C]

Thank you. And plus, it doesn't matter who's hitting it. Like you're not tailoring it to a particular name. You know, all that jazz, you know, you don't gotta do that.

[A]

You just. Oh, that would be a great call.

[C]

Swing.

[B]

That kind of thing. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats. I want to get to Andrew Friedman here, but what you guys are talking about is funny. For a number of reasons. There are so few workplaces like this. If in any workplace in your life that wasn't this kind of competitive, someone came by you and said to you, appear always the bridesmaid, huh? It's like a cruel thing to say to another human being who also cares about what you do for a living. Like Tkachuk saying that out loud. I know it's normal in sports, and sports are a different place, but saying that like that is somebody. If you said that to somebody in your workplace, that person would either never speak to you again or want to fight you.

[A]

I don't think it crosses the line.

[B]

No, it's not that it doesn't cross the line. It's just you're actively trying to not be liked by somebody when you do that.

[A]

Geez. McDavid just had the nicest assist. To Macklin celebrating. I have so many worse things said.

[B]

To me here every day. Andrew Friedman is with us now, and he gets mean things said to him. This guy gets a lot of applause and gets blamed for ruining baseball. I've admired him because he was a pioneer with the Rays, and the Rays were smarter than everyone else for a long time. And then the Dodgers said, let's do what they do, but with more money than everyone else. And so Andrew Friedman is on top of the sport, and it's really random and it's hard to be great even with all the money. And he's got nine division titles, five pennants, three World Series in six seasons. Thank you for joining us. Andrew. If I told you that that's what it was going to be, would it have exceeded your expectations when you started? If I told you it was going to be, given how hard baseball is, if I told you when you started, what's the best you're going to do? What's the answer to that?

[C]

Yeah, it's a great question. First, thanks for having me on. But, yeah, I mean, going into the job with the Dodgers on one hand, I was excited about kind of throwing myself in the deep end and having to think about things totally different. I didn't even know what the CBT tax and how that worked. And so it was kind of retraining my brain in a lot of ways. Yeah, I would say that this exceeded. I didn't necessarily sit down and say, okay, it's going to be X number of divisions and World Series. Obviously the goal was to win a World Series every year. But yeah, it is hard. And there's, you know, you need to have really talented teams and some Good fortune as well.

[B]

Can you explain to me how groundbreaking, pioneering, and difficult it was to get the Shohei Ohtani contract to be what it was so that you can pay him so little on the front end?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I've said this a lot. I wouldn't have had the guts to propose the contract that we ended up doing with him. You know, obviously, we had made an offer, we had talked about some things, and we had an idea of kind of where we wanted to go. And as it turned out, Nez Bolello, Shohei's agent, put together this kind of deal and took it to the three or four teams that Shohei was most interested in and wanted to know who would do it. And in the process of that call, I was like, deal done. We're in. He's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, settle down. This isn't him making a decision yet. Just trying to get a feel for who's in. And, yeah, I mean, obviously, the impact he has for our team in the clubhouse, on the field, and then also what he has helped provide for our organization in terms of increased resources, all of that, I think, even with the highest of expectations, in a lot of ways, has exceeded that as well.

[B]

Can you give me the top three guys bottom to top that? You were most surprised to get like that. You surprised yourself and got super excited, beyond excited, because 3, 2, 1. We were able to get this guy.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think Shohei, you know, even going back to 2017, when he was still playing in the MPB and coming over to the States, we spent a ton of time on it. You know, we didn't have the DH at the time, but we did everything we could to try to recruit him and sell them on the city of Los Angeles. In fact, you know, hundreds of hours were spent on that. And when the announcement came that he was going to the Angels, my brother sent me a text and said, hey, great job selling him on Los Angeles. So it had been, you know, front of mind for us for a long time. And so that's clearly number one. You know, with Freddy, he was someone going into that winner. That was at the top of our list. But we just thought the odds of accessing the odds of getting him to leave Atlanta were extremely remote. So had very low expectations until that day where the Braves traded for Matt Olson. And that's when we were like, okay, we have a shot. So I would say throughout 98% of that process, we thought we had no chance. And then when that happened, we felt like we had a pretty Good chance. You know, there's a number of guys that, you know, we talked about it this offseason. Kyle Tucker coming to us on a shorter term deal. We've seen guys take shorter term deals with higher AVs, but not when they have a big long term contract as an alternative. We haven't seen somebody, I don't think, turn down a massive long term contract to sign a shorter, more aggressive deal. And so I think throughout that process we didn't think the odds were very high just because we felt confident he had, you know, a big 300 plus million dollar contract and odds were he was going to take it. So I think until the end, we thought the odds were pretty low. Andrew, when you hear the narrative spoken or written that the Dodgers astronomical spending is, quote, bad for baseball, what do you say? I mean, I guess a couple things. One is we are an incredibly healthy organization right now. We are doing really, really well off the field. And you know, it was 12 years ago, 13 years ago that this organization was in bankruptcy. And so as an organization, we are in a very, very healthy spot. And we feel a real connection and partnership to our fans and that commitment to pouring it back in and doing everything we can to win a championship and bring a parade through the streets of Los Angeles. And so it is that partnership that we have with our fans that is a real driving force. And I just like the counterfactual to what you know, or the counterpoint to us having an aggressive payroll is the people who are upset by it just want our owner to pocket more money. Like I don't understand the other side of it. You know, we are investing in our team in a way that with where we are the core of talent we have, we're not being flippant about it that hey, this will just happen forever. Obviously we are doing all we can to keep one eye on the present, one eye on the future, and to be as good as we can be for as long as we can. But we are in a really special moment in time with the core group of players that we have. And our mindset is to be aggressive, to kind of back that up and do everything we can to win A championship in 2026.

[B]

It looks from over here like all your dreams have come true and possibly so what percentage of your job is great joy and what percentage is still suffering?

[C]

That is a great question. I think it's going to give some scary insight into my brain. But you know, people have said, oh, it must be easier with all the resources, you know, when I was with the Rays when I was now with the Dodgers. The day to day is no different. Whatever you're given, whatever rules you're operating in, whatever payroll budget you have, the players you have, and trying to do everything you can to make them the best versions of themselves, all of that is the exact same. And winning. And winning the last game of the season, you know, just to give you some insight, my first year as GM was 2006 with the Devil Rays. Knew we were terrible. We finished with the worst record in baseball. And at the end of that year, Terry Ryan, the longtime GM of the Minnesota Twins, steps down. And he said, you know, I had just gotten to a point where the losses were killing me and the wins weren't really gratifying. They weren't as fulfilling. And I was like, man, I'm in trouble. This is my first year. I knew we were going to lose 100 games and I'm already there. So just give me some insight into.

[B]

But that bums me out, though, because it sounds like. It sounds like you would have trouble enjoying this. Like, it's the whole Pat Riley thing of there's winning and there's misery. Until you win, there's not joy. And the daily grind is a suffering. And so the answer to my question is what on percentages, how much joy, how much suffering?

[C]

I mean, so much of it falls out of what's. What's going on. So, I mean, I've gotten good at enjoying after the 24 World Series. I mean, I'd say, look, every step along the way, when we win the division or clinch a playoff spot, we have fun that night. And it's, I think, important to go have fun and exhale and blow it out a little bit and celebrate each of those milestones along the way. And after the 24 season, after the 25 season, really good times. The problem is, three days later, you know, you still smell like alcohol and you're on your way to the GM meetings and it's time to focus on the next season. So this job is. You know, I joke about the ebbs and the flows. I haven't really found the ebbs. There's just enough going on where it's hard to soak in it too much. But I've definitely gotten better at enjoying the good things, but a little tortured soul in that, in some ways.

[B]

What are the parts of the job that nobody could possibly understand?

[C]

I mean, such a public job. I think part of it is. It is just nonstop, just a number of challenges, issues, just with the vast. You Know the size of our organization, the number of players, it's just nonstop. The number of things that are going on. Some are small, some are big, and it is just relentless on a daily basis.

[B]

Joe Madden said of you, he intentionally challenged people's ideas to create a conversation. How do you do that? When do you do that? Is that purposeful part of your leadership?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I believe so strongly in collaboration, and if I am really mired in something, I really value having outside perspective of someone who's less mired in it. And sometimes it's, oh, yeah, you're just missing this context. That's not right. Or sometimes it's, wow, you're right, I'm so mired in it, I missed it. So I believe very much in collaboration. That being he said, if we're always agreeing, then I'm scared. And so we'll be in meetings and it'll be okay. Who agrees with this? And if everyone's like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, all right, hold on, let's check ourselves. Let's do kind of a pre mortem of how this could go wrong. Because that's when it scares me. I like when we have disagreement and arguments and, you know, can get at different angles of a decision to make the best decision we can with the information we have. And when we are disagreeing is when I feel best about how we're proceeding.

[B]

Who's the player most likely to check you?

[C]

Kirsch was for sure, actually said it to him. We're trying to get him to come work with us. And just the number of times he would say something to me and be like, hey, why are we doing this? Or have you thought about this? The number of times I'm like, yeah, that's a really good point. And he wasn't afraid to do it, and I welcomed it and it was great. And so now we're trying to use that as leverage to get him to come join us.

[A]

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[C]

Close your eyes, exhale. Feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts.

[A]

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[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

Oh, sorry.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

You saw the game winning play once.

[A]

But have to replay it three times on the way back to the hotel. Because some moments don't end at the buzzer.

[C]

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[A]

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[B]

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[C]

This is the Dan lebatar show with the Stugats.

[B]

What is something you can tell us about Shohei Ohtani that would explain to the layman the modern day Babe Ruth skill set that you've never seen before?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think it's easy to say I've never seen it before because I would argue he is the greatest player who's ever played this game. I think in some crazy ways, he's actually underrated. Just the human brain has a hard time comprehending this. But I think his work ethic, the determination, the focus, the relentless pursuit of being great at not just hitting, but also pitching and all that that entails, it's incredibly impressive. And it's funny, after we won in New York in 24, you know, celebrating after he's like, all right, all right, nine more. I was like, shohei, it's not that easy. Then after last year, celebrating like, all right, eight more. I'm like, shohei, it's not that easy. But I hope we continue to have that conversation.

[B]

Can you tell me what level of your life before baseball? Analyst for two years with Bear, Stearns and company, an investment firm. Three years as an associate for a private equity firm. Did you take any of those things over to baseball?

[C]

Yeah, I mean, I think first of all, just getting out of college and working 80 to 100 hour weeks helped prepare me in some ways for just how to kind of manage a lot of different things. But I think the biggest thing was in those jobs, information is king. And having as much information as you possibly can and the art of how to distill that down for decision making, for presenting to other people. People. Those were things that I spent a lot of time doing and thinking about. That, I think, serves me on a daily basis now.

[B]

How often is your wife noticing that you're thinking about baseball instead of at home like you're supposed to be?

[C]

I think I've gotten better, so I'm going to give myself, you know, some, like, most Improved player award, but probably not great.

[B]

I mean, I just imagine that it's a little bit. Maybe it's not overwhelming to you, but I'm guessing that running that entire thing means that all the problems end up on your desk and that nobody sees that.

[C]

Yeah, I think that's fair.

[B]

And so being a champion is hard, but worth it, correct? Like, you've poured. You've poured yourself into this. It would feel less worth it, though, right, if. If the Rays had beaten you, as I thought they could have, should have and deserve to. The Jays. The Jays. Excuse me.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, look, I think a couple of things. One, the joy that we get from winning is incredible. The parade, the energy is unlike anything I've ever felt before, and it is incredible now. We also appreciate that the playoffs are hard in baseball, and being really talented is really helpful, but you also need some good fortune. And so last year, we definitely benefited from some good fortune. In years past, we've been on the other side of that. And so there is a large role that that fortune kind of plays in it. And so with that, it's hard to have all of the joy tied to just that one outcome. But for me, it's who we do it with on a daily basis, the amount of time that goes into it. I mean, we're here in spring training beer for, you know, close to six weeks, you know, away from our families. And just the challenges that come with that and just the joy that I derive from the people that I do it with and the successes that we have are something that I think really does stick with me and where I get a lot of fulfillment in my job.

[B]

Can you put us next to you during the World Series at the moment that you're the most scared that you're going to lose it?

[C]

There are so many moments in that that. So I've always said my whole career, there is no way I could do a game, seven extra innings. Like, I'm just not wired to handle that. And it turns out you just do it. But the number of times I had to go, take steps back and just remember to breathe, like, hey, dummy, Take breaths. Yeah. I mean, that ball off the bat from Clement, when Andy posterized Kike off the bat, I did not feel great about that. The Miggy Row backhand throw to home, I actually felt good about that one. Even as it went to replay. The 3, 0, change up Vladdy. I'll snell 3, 0, change up and Vladdy hits a fly ball to center off the bat. I thought he got it, so that wasn't a great feeling. So there were so many in that game, which is what makes it, you know, such an incredible game, such an incredible series. That perspective kind of gets lost on you as you are kind of mired in it. But, you know, continue to hear it every day, all day, from fans and different people. You know, just how impactful and incredible that series was.

[B]

This is a difficult question to ask you, but would one title with the Rays have meant as much to you as three with the Dodgers?

[C]

I don't know how to do any kind of conversion on them, but obviously the success we had with the Rays winning the east, you know, I remember a quote that Larry Lucchino had. He was talking about the Red Sox as being the little engine that could compared to the Yankees. I was like, man, if you guys are the little engine that could, I don't even know what that makes us. So just going up against the Red Sox and Yankees and those resources and the disparity and winning the division and having the success we had was incredibly gratifying, you know, and I think winning there, winning divisions, definitely as is more impactful than winning a division here. I think winning a World Series anywhere is as special as it gets. Well, speaking of the Rays days, you know Peter Bendix very well, and he's trying to do in Miami right now with a low player payroll, what seemed to work in Tampa. Can you put into words the challenge he has taken on trying to do what he's doing with that payroll in a division with the Phillies, Braves and Mets?

[B]

You've known him since he was in his early 20s, correct?

[C]

Yeah, as an intern with the Rays. He is really, really bright, really talented. And I think what should inspire confidence in people in Miami is he's not afraid. And I think there are a lot of people who are in this job who are afraid. They're looking to, you know, preserve their job. Peter is really bright, he's really bold, and he appreciates that in that division and with their resources, you have to be. If you are doing things the exact same way as the Phillies, the Mets, the Braves, you have no Chance. And it was similar to how we were with the Rays. We had to operate very differently than the Yankees and Red Sox. And I think Peter is not afraid to do that. I think sometimes it's unconventional. I think sometimes you're throwing, you know, a little bit of the spotlight on yourself in a way that could make some people uncomfortable, makes you get second guess more. But he's not afraid. And I think he is doing what he feels like is right for that organization. And I would certainly bet on him.

[B]

Thank you. We appreciate the time. Congratulations on the success. Congratulations on ruining baseball as well. I do have one more extreme question for you as we let you go, though. Can you now tell us the story of one time with the Rays where you were looking at whatever the Red Sox were doing, the Yankees were doing compared to something that you were doing, and you're like, come on, come on. Why do I have to deal with such small time circumstances here?

[A]

I don't know.

[C]

I mean, I think, you know, the Yankees did a really good job and it all is a matter of perspective. But, you know, we had to be really aggressive to try to innovate and to think about things differently and approach things differently. And I think the Yankees would kind of sit back and say, okay, what's working for the Rays, what's not working? And then. Or for any other team? And then say, okay, we're going to copy that now, but we're not going to invest the front end time to do it. And so we would go through the trials and errors and things that would work, things that wouldn't work, and those teams were just able to kind of sit back and pick that off. But obviously, you know, major league free agency, the way that things are structured is not only a great thing, there are disadvantages that come with it in terms of term and contracts and how that can tie up future flexibility. And so when I was with the Rays watching the Red Sox and Yankees do some of those deals, those were good in terms of our future outlook and so trying to stay true to who we were and find the right opportunities to try to surpass them. But yeah, I mean, they operate so differently than us that I think it's almost on a daily basis. But that was kind of a macro kind of take on our viewpoint on them at the time.

[B]

Thank you, Andrew. I don't think people understand how hard it is to do what you do, even with all of the money in the world. We appreciate it, sir.

[C]

Thank you guys for having me on. I really appreciate it.

[B]

I was also enjoying throughout that that the video team was playing behind Tony with Zsasz's face on. Real and genuine pain there. While that is a good shot, I actually think that we may have some others of him that are even closer to the camera because as I remember what I saw and I can get it wrong with my memories, I had Willis McGahey as a pro being slow. His face was very close to the camera and it was even funnier than that. Even though that's pretty funny.

[A]

You also had the the Rays in the World Series.

[B]

Yeah, I did that too.

[C]

You also had Tony Clark with the stepsister as well. Bad day for you.

[A]

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[A]

Hey, everybody, it's Mike Ryan. Now, if you've been following the show, you know I've been traveling, been super busy, been supporting my favorite football team with mixed results, right? Not the greatest hang so far in 2026. I try to find every excuse in the book. I had one buddy that was trying to invite me out. I wanted to stay in. He's like, come on, let's watch this NBA game. So I go over to his house, I watch this NBA game, and guess what? Something amazing happened. He pulled out the Miller Lights, and I knew right away I made the right call. Next thing you know, we're toasting. We're celebrating. We're having a great time. We're talking about nostalgia. We're talking about old friends that we had. And it was all thanks to Miller Lite, that icebreaker. Because when you actually say yes and you actually show up, you want a beer that fits the moment. For me, that's Miller Lite. Legendary moments. Start with Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.