After months of negotiations, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed manager Dave Roberts to a three-year contract extension at the end of Spring Training. Roberts was facing the prospect of being a lame-duck manager in 2022, though he and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman downplayed concern over that possibility.
Instead, the Dodgers ultimately signed Roberts to a second contract extension since he was hired as manager in November 2015. His current deal runs through the 2025 season, at which point Roberts would join Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda as the only managers in Dodgers franchise history to be at the helm for at least 10 seasons.
And despite the Dodgers suffering a disappointing postseason exit in the National League Division Series, the team intends to keep Roberts as manager for the 2023 season, according to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
Dave Roberts is expected to return in 2023 for his eighth season as manager, and first under the new three-year contract extension he signed before this past season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
That Roberts is being retained hardly comes as a surprise. He has the respect and trust of the players and franchise, and oversaw a team that set a new franchise record with 111 wins.
Moreover, the Dodgers’ postseason struggles largely stemmed from the lineup collectively failing to hit with runners in scoring position rather than due to managerial decisions made by Roberts.
In his seven seasons as Dodgers manager, Roberts is 653-380 (.632) and has guided the team to the playoffs every year, six National League West titles, three pennants and one World Series win. Roberts’ winning percentage is the highest of any manager in MLB history (minimum 315 games).
It’s bested only by Negro League managers Bullet Rogan, Vic Harris and Rube Foster.
Dave Roberts stunned Dodgers eliminated by Padres
Roberts guaranteed the Dodgers would win the 2022 World Series if the team’s starting pitchers remained healthy, and stuck by the prediction even amid a rash of injuries.
“Shock factor, very high. Disappointment, very high,” Roberts said after the Dodgers lost Game 4 to the San Diego Padres.
“It’s crushing. Each guy gave everything they had all year long, and it was a tremendous season. The great thing about baseball is the unpredictability, and the tough thing about it is the same thing. Things could have gone either way today to impact the result of the game. It didn’t.
“We got beat in a series. Nothing I can say is going to make it feel any better. Obviously we didn’t expect to be in this position.”
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