The Los Angeles Dodgers checked off the final bit of offseason business on Tuesday by announcing the signing of manager Dave Roberts to a four-year contract extension that runs through the 2029 season.
It was an outcome that had long been presented as expected by Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and Roberts himself.
Roberts’ deal is worth a reported $32.4 million and thus has an average annual value of $8.1 million that is good for the highest a manager has ever received in MLB history.
The Chicago Cubs’ Craig Counsell remained the overall highest paid MLB manager with his $40 million contract signed before the 2024 season. Counsell’s contract translates to an $8 million AAV.
There had been some speculation Roberts would break Counsell’s record, both in terms of overall pay and average annual value. Though, Roberts recently said doing so was not a focal point of negotiations with the Dodgers and he simply was looking to be adequately valued.
In some sense the Dodgers wound up receiving a bargain with Roberts’ new contract.
Roberts has guided the Dodgers to at least 90 wins in every full season as Dodgers manager. The lone exception came with the reduced schedule in 2020, when he led the Dodgers to the best record in baseball at 43-17 and an eventual World Series title.
Among all-time Dodgers managers, Roberts is fourth in total wins. Ahead of him are Walter Alston (2,040), Tommy Lasorda (1,599) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375). Roberts is entering the 2025 season with 851 managerial wins.
Roberts’ career .627 winning percentage is the highest of any manager in MLB history (minimum 315 games). It’s only topped by Negro League managers Bullet Rogan (.698), Vic Harris (.663) and Rube Foster (.633).
Furthermore, Roberts is one of just three active managers to win multiple World Series titles, joining Texas Rangers’ Bruce Bochy and Cincinnati Reds’ Terry Francona.
Roberts’ 56 postseason wins rank second among active managers (Bochy, 57) and sixth all-time. He is also one of five managers all-time with five 100+ win seasons, joining Bobby Cox (six), Joe McCarthy (six), Connie Mack (five) and Earl Weaver (five).
Roberts is the only Asian-American manager in MLB history to win the World Series and one of two Black managers to do so, along with Cito Gaston of Toronto.
Dodgers reaction
Andrew Friedman
“We could not be more thrilled about continuing our long-running partnership with Dave,” Andrew Friedman said in a statement. “As we’ve preached time and time again, continuity and stability are staples of this organization, and we are incredibly excited that this agreement allows us to maintain our focus of working together towards bringing more championships to Los Angeles.
“Dave’s leadership both on the field and in the clubhouse elevates those around him and allows our players to go and perform at an elite level night in and night out. He has become a strong presence in the community, and represents all the best qualities of our organization.”
Dave Roberts
“I am excited and grateful to continue this great journey with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the best organization in sports,” said Roberts. “Building my relationships with the players – and the fans – has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and it’s a privilege I do not take lightly.
“I would like to thank Dodger ownership and management for giving me the opportunity to work toward more World Series titles for the Dodgers.”
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