Now heading into the final year of his contract, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has occasionally been asked about his future with the organization of late.
Back in July, Roberts said his focus remained on winning the World Series but his desire was to remain manager of the Dodgers going forward.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman shared the same line of thinking, stating that the organization foresaw Roberts being a big part of what will be accomplished in the future.
Now after Roberts led the Dodgers to their second World Series in five seasons, a new contract is an inevitability. The Dodgers started conversations with Roberts on an extension, but general manager Brandon Gomes recently said the front office is currently focused on building the roster for 2025, according to Sonja Chen of MLB.com:
“We’ve talked to him, like, ‘Hey, let’s get our team in a good place, and then we’re going to sit down and talk,'” general manager Brandon Gomes said. “So the expectation is, let’s get through all of this player stuff, and then we can have conversations.”
Roberts has signed two contract extensions since becoming Dodgers manager in 2016, and each occurrence came either before or well after the Winter Meetings. In 2018, Roberts agreed to a four-year extension in December, ahead of the Winter Meetings. While in 2022, he signed the extension two weeks before the start of the regular season.
The Dodgers should be highly motivated to get a deal done with Roberts not only because of what he accomplished in 2024, but also because they have a history of not negotiating contracts with him during the regular season.
Having agreed to terms with Teoscar Hernández, the Dodgers roster for 2025 is even more clear, and it could be an indication that Roberts’ extension is on the horizon.
Dave Roberts: Dodgers can cement legacy with World Series
The Dodgers are hoping to be the first repeat World Series champion in MLB since the 1998-2000 Yankees completed their three-peat. MLB’s 24 years without a repeat champion is the longest of its kind in the history of the sport.
In fact, throughout MLB history only 14 teams have won at least two consecutive World Series titles. Which is why Roberts wants every single member of the Dodgers organization to add to their legacy with a repeat win in 2025.
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