The 2025 season will mark Dave Roberts 10th as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it is also the final year on his current contract.
Signing Roberts to an extension has been on the offseason checklist for the Dodgers front office, but they decided to focus on filling out the roster before turning their attention to the dugout.
Both sides are optimistic about a deal getting done before the Dodgers leave for Tokyo on March 12, and finishing up the details before then is a goal for president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
Roberts also said the negotiations are on the one-yard line, and with the way things are trending, he’s excited to remain Dodgers manager for the foreseeable future, via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
“Things are looking good,” Roberts said. “I’m optimistic. This is where I want to be, so I’m excited that things are getting done.”
Roberts and the Dodgers are expected to break records with his contract. Craig Counsell became the highest-paid manager in MLB history when he signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Cubs before the 2024 season.
Roberts could surpass Counsell in years, total value and average annual value with his next contract. While it’s unclear if Roberts will receive more years than Counsell, it will reportedly surpass the $8 million average annual value of his Cubs contract.
The last time Roberts signed a contract extension the deal was for three years and a reported salary of $3.25 to $4 million per season. That means Roberts’ new salary could conceivably top the total value of his last contract.
The Dodgers’ manager is not focused on becoming the highest-paid manager, but he is looking for fair value. However, as the top manager in baseball who is putting together a Hall of Fame resume, it’s only fair that he’s paid as the best manager in baseball.
In 2018, Roberts agreed to a four-year extension in December, just before the annual MLB Winter Meetings. In 2022 he signed an extension two weeks before the start of the regular season.
Dave Roberts career as Dodgers manager
Roberts has a career .627 winning percentage is the highest of any manager in MLB history (minimum 315 games). It’s bested only by Negro League managers Bullet Rogan (.698), Vic Harris (.663) and Rube Foster (.633).
The Dodgers have won the National League West in eight of his first nine seasons, and he’s led them to four World Series appearances while capturing two titles in the process. Roberts and the Dodgers arguably would have won the World Series in 2017 as well if not for the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal.
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