The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t able to do much during the MLB lockout, but one matter of business they can tend to is figuring out manager Dave Roberts’ future with the club.
Roberts is entering the final year of his contract and under the current lockout, teams are permitted to make personnel changes within their front office and coaching staff. This gives the two sides have a lot of time to come to an agreement, especially with Spring Training likely being delayed.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said in November the club expected to have negotiations with Roberts at some point this offseason, but so far they have yet to begin.
However, that could change soon as Roberts and the Dodgers are expected to begin contract negotiations in the coming weeks and they are optimistic an agreement will be reached, via Andy McCullough of The Athletic:
Both Roberts and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman indicated the two parties would negotiate an extension in the coming weeks. “It’ll get done,” Roberts said. “It’ll get done.”
While both sides want to get an agreement done, Friedman previously indicated there would be no issues if Roberts did enter the 2022 season as a lame-duck manager.
Roberts also said he would play out the final year in his contract no matter the circumstances.
Still, it wouldn’t be ideal for them to enter the season without a new contract, which Roberts has earned the right to.
Since taking the helm as manager at the start of the 2016 season, Roberts has led the Dodgers to an MLB-best 542-329 record, five NL West titles, three National League pennants and one World Series championship.
Roberts is also fifth all-time in managerial winning percentage, and one of only 10 who have won more than 60% of their games.
Roberts part of Dodgers’ free agent recruiting
Prior to the lockout beginning, the Dodgers used Roberts as part of their recruiting process through phone calls.
Roberts revealed he called a player to let him know how much they wanted him but stopped short of revealing who the player was, but they have been connected to the likes of Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman and Seiya Suzuki, among others.
It’s commonplace for a manager to be involved in a free agency meeting, and under normal circumstances, teams occasionally include an active player from the roster as well. The Dodgers additionally boast the benefit of having Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson part of their ownership group and available for recruiting purposes.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
