Dave Roberts is in the midst of his 11th season as Los Angeles Dodgers manager, but he knows there are a finite amount of years he has left in him.
The Dodgers signed Roberts to a four-year, $32.4 million contract extension in March 2025 that keeps him as the team’s manager through the 2029 season.
There are only three managers in Dodgers franchise history to have a longer tenure than Roberts, that being Wilbert Robinson, Tommy Lasorda and Walter Alston.
Roberts is contemplating how long he wants to keep managing and suggested retirement could come once Mookie Betts’ contract with the Dodgers expires, according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
“Mookie wants me to manage until his contract expires, so that’s something I am thinking about,” Roberts said. “But I can be certain I’m not going to do 20 years. It’s too much. I love it, but it’s a lot to give. To see myself doing that for another seven, eight, nine years, that’s a lot.
“There’s more to the job. Nothing against Tommy or Walter, but there’s more to the job than there used to be. That’s just the truth.”
Betts’ current contract will end at the conclusion of the 2032 season. If the Dodgers’ skipper chooses to retire with Betts, he would end his managerial career at 17 seasons.
Roberts would remain fourth all-time in Dodgers’ franchise history with that total, behind Robinson’s 18 seasons.
Whenever that day comes, the Dodgers will have the herculean task of naming Roberts’ successor. Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann could be a suitable candidate. The 40-year-old has a number of factors working in his favor, including familiarity with the organization and being a respected coach in the Dodgers’ building and around the league.
Lehmann has been connected to managerial openings the past two seasons, which means he could be gone by the time Roberts does retire. However, the Dodgers could start early conversations with the young coach to informally name him as the successor before Roberts officially retires.
Keys behind Dave Roberts reaching 1,000 wins
This season, Roberts became the 69th manager in MLB history to reach 1,000 career wins. He achieved the feat in his 1,606th game as a manager, the fewest in MLB history.
Betts attributes Roberts’ success to his ability to manage people and forge meaningful relationships.
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