The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the most successful teams in baseball over the past decade. They have not had a losing season since 2010, and one reason for their sustained success has been manager Dave Roberts.
He took over the team in 2016 and has a winning percentage of .627 in the regular season with a record of 851-506. While Roberts has been gifted some loaded rosters, he has done a good job leading the clubhouse to two World Series wins. The team did not want to let him go with his contract almost up.
Dave Roberts Agrees to Contract Extension
According to Jon Heyman, the Dodgers and Roberts agreed to a 4-year, $32.5 million contract extension one week before their season begins in Tokyo.
When asked about the contract extension, Roberts said, “I’m excited. This is where I always wanted to be.”
While managerial contract extensions are rarely discussed, this is a big move for the Dodgers to ensure that Roberts is managing for the foreseeable future. The Dodgers enter the 2025 season as the heavy favorite to repeat as World Champions.
They improved their roster in the offseason, adding players like Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki. There is no doubt this is a 100+ win team on paper.
One issue the Dodgers hope to avoid this season is injuries. Last year, they were haunted by injuries to some of their big-name pitchers.
Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched limited innings, while Shohei Ohtani could not pitch. Roberts did a good job navigating his roster despite the injuries, which is another reason he was given this extension.
Dodgers Hoping to Repeat
The Dodgers are looking to become the first team since the 1998-2000 Yankees to win back-to-back World Series (that Yankees team won three straight).
The Dodgers have an elite roster, but Roberts will still have some tough decisions regarding his lineup and players’ health. Over a 162-game season, keeping everyone healthy is most managers’ biggest concern.
Also, Roberts must decide what to do with Ohtani when he is ready to pitch. He is expected back on the mound at some point this season, and it will be interesting to see how often Roberts is willing to use him.
Ohtani is one of the most valuable hitters in baseball, so it will be on Roberts to make sure the three-time MVP can stay healthy as he gets back to pitching.
The Dodgers look like a team poised for a historic season, but we have a long way to go before we crown them for anything.
