Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is entering the final year of his current contract, but both sides have been working toward an extension before the regular season begins.
The Dodgers front office previously noted they were working on putting their roster together before having serious talks with Roberts, and now with Spring Training underway, the attention has turned to the skipper.
General manager Brandon Gomes recently confirmed the Dodgers were in negotiations with Roberts, but did not share any more information.
From Roberts’ view, he expects to sign a contract extension before the end of Spring Training, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic:
Dave Roberts said he’s “optimistic” he and the Dodgers will be able to get an extension done before the end of spring.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) February 14, 2025
Roberts has signed two contract extensions during his tenure as Dodgers manager. In 2018, Roberts agreed to a four-year extension in December, ahead of the Winter Meetings. But in 2022 he signed the extension two weeks before the start of the regular season.
In his next contract, Roberts is looking to potentially set a new record for salary, and potentially years, by a manager. The current highest paid manager is Craig Counsell, who signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Cubs last year that stands as the richest in MLB history.
Roberts had a $3.25 million salary last season, which ranked 11th among all MLB managers. But given his sustained success and second World Series title, he should blow by that number and could end up with an annual average value of around $10 million.
Dave Roberts history as Dodgers manager
Roberts at times has been highly criticized for his managerial job, but 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).
Roberts has also led the Dodgers to the World Series four times, first in 2017 and followed by appearances in 2018, 2020 and 2024. The Dodgers won two of them under Roberts and arguably would have another if not for the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal.
The Dodgers have also won the the National League West eight times under Roberts in his nine years as the club’s manager.
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.
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