The Los Angeles Dodgers have enjoyed an unprecedented amount of success since manager Dave Roberts took over for Don Mattingly in 2016.
With the 2024 regular season in the rearview, the Dodgers are playing in October for the 12th consecutive season and secured an eighth National League West crown under Roberts.
He has just one season remaining on a contract extension signed with the Dodgers back in 2022. It was the second extension Roberts has signed in his tenure as Dodgers manager.
Back in July, Roberts said he remained focused on winning a championship this season despite the looming possibility of managing in 2025 with no guarantee of his future with the team. Roberts also stated he would not want to manage anywhere else and hoped the two sides would eventually come to a new agreement.
This sentiment was echoed by Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, according to Dylan Hernández of the L.A. Times:
Asked if the Dodgers have considered doing that, Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, replied in a text message, “Doc is a big part of what we have accomplished in the past and we look forward to him being a big part of what we will accomplish in the future. Right now, all of our focus and attention are on doing everything we can to win a Championship this season.”
The lack of communication between Roberts and the Dodgers’ front office regarding a new contract is not cause for concern. Friedman’s line of thinking can obviously change depending on how events unfold this October, but a new extension for Roberts seems likely.
The front office has set a clear precedent on how they go about negotiating contracts with Roberts as to not distract the team.
Since becoming the Dodgers manager in 2016, Roberts has not signed either of his contract extensions during the regular season. In 2018, Roberts agreed to a four-year extension in December ahead of the Winter Meetings, and signed his second deal two weeks before the start of the regular season in 2022.
Dave Roberts’ tenure as Dodgers manager
Roberts has directed the Dodgers to at least 100 wins five times, including three consecutive seasons from 2021-2023. Under his tutelage, the team also set a new franchise record for regular season wins with 111 in 2022.
Roberts currently possesses the best career winning percentage of any manager in MLB history (minimum 315 games), with Negro League managers Bullet Rogan, Vic Harris, Rube Foster and Dave Malarcher the only men above him.
In addition to winning the division eight out of the last nine seasons, Roberts and the Dodgers have won three NL pennants and one World Series title.
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