Small-market roots have Friedman on top wth Dodgers

LOS ANGELES — These Dodgers are a ginormous-market team. The $220 million payroll, tops in baseball, makes that clear.

There is a small-market philosophy, though, hidden inside the biggest of markets.

For that, they will be rewarded by playing in the World Series on Tuesday for the first time in 29 years. Money doesn’t always talk in the majors. There is so much that has to go right, you have to have production from all departments.

So when The Post asked Dodgers president of baseball operat i ons Andrew Friedman what he is most proud of with this team, which thrashed the defending world champion Cubs in the NLCS in five games, he said, “I’m most proud of how many fingerprints are on the success of this team, our entire staff, from our pro scouting department, our international department, our player development, our major league staff, you go up and down our roster and you can see the fingerprints of so many different people on this roster.’’

That is the essence of putting together a World Series team. It is not about a couple of players who can take you to the World Series. There have to be contributions from many different areas. It has to all come together.

That is why Friedman, 40, was so well-served by his time with the Rays, finding ways around problems that come with being a smallmarket team to discover success and make it to the postseason.

Friedman’s Rays made it four times, and nine years ago they went to the World Series, a remarkable accomplishment. Friedman and his staff found a way to win, and they did it by getting all types of contributions.

So keep that in mind when you look at these Dodgers, who have made it to the postseason three straight years under Friedman.

Check out the contributions in the Cubs series. Kiké Hernandez hit three home runs in the 11-1 clinching win Thursday night at Wrigley Field. Friedman traded for Hernandez, sending Dee Gordon to the Marlins for Hernandez and catcher Austin Barnes on Dec. 11, 2014.

Two pieces of the puzzle were collected in one day. Friedman and his general manager, Farhan Zaidi, preach the value of depth and versatility, a huge part of the Dodgers’ success, especially when they lost shortstop Corey Seager to a back injury. The Dodgers had the depth to replace Seager in the NLCS lineup with Charlie Culberson (batting .445 in the postseason) and they also moved Chris Taylor in from center f ield to play shortstop.

Tayl o r was acquired f rom the Mariners for pitcher Zach Lee. Culberson was signed as a lowbudget free agent. Friedman built a monster bullpen, a major task. When Friedman had to make the big deal this summer, he did, acquiring Yu Darvish from the Rangers for prospects. Darvish gives the rotation backbone and has taken pressure off Clayton Kershaw.

When Friedman says there are lots of fingerprints on this roster, he’s including former GM Ned Colletti, who brought in many of these Dodgers, like Justin Turner, turned Kenley Jansen from a catcher into a reliever, drafted Clayton Kershaw, Seager and Cody Bellinger and signed international free agent Yasiel Puig.

This past offseason, Friedman was wise to re-sign Jansen, the best closer in the game, and Turner, who was co-MVP of the NLCS along with Taylor, and lefty starter Rich Hill.

There are lots of fingerprints on these Dodgers, but the most important are Friedman’s. He hired manager Dave Roberts. Friedman’s small-market training and his understanding that depth has never been more important has made all the difference for the Dodgers.

“I’m so proud of this team,’’ Friedman said.

He should be. The Dodgers are talented, deep and play for one another. They’ve become a team in every way possible. In three years under Friedman, they have grown better each year — 1988 was a long time ago, it’s time to win the World Series again.