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Dodgers Boss Breaks Silence After Latest Development
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

At the end of the day, Major League Baseball is a business.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and every other team around the league have to do what they believe is right for their organization. The Dodgers, more than anybody, prove that every offseason. If the Dodgers believe they have a chance to get better, they'll take that risk.

That's exactly what the team did earlier in the week by designating their longest tenured position player, Austin Barnes, for assignment. Barnes, who didn't have much of a place to play on the current Dodgers roster, wasn't needed anymore.

With Dalton Rushing waiting in the minors and making his debut earlier in the week, it's an exciting time for Dodgers fans, but also a bittersweet one.

Reporters asked about the decision to let go of Barnes, and Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, admitted that it was one of the most challenging decisions that he's had to make.

"Obviously, Austin has been a huge part of this organization for a long time, he's been in the middle of a lot of really big moments for us," Friedman said, per Dodgers Nation. "His impact has been significant. So it was one of the harder decisions."

For Barnes, there isn't too much to be upset about. He had a great career and will be remembered in Los Angeles for a long time.

Now, it's Rushing’s time, and Friedman seems excited for that.

He said he's been on their radar for quite some time, and the last thing he has to do is lead a major league staff behind the plate. That's much easier said than done, but getting him reps now could benefit in the short and long term.

"The last mile of his development is helping lead a major league staff," Friedman said. "We felt like now is the right time to give him that opportunity, and for us to learn some things about him that you can't know until they're at the major-league level, and for him to experience the speed of game here, which will be insightful for all of us in terms of the next set of things to work on."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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