The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the offseason with the likelihood of roster turnover via free agency, and to this point, that has amounted to Corey Seager, Max Scherzer and Corey Knebel signing elsewhere.
Another pressing issue the club must address is manager Dave Roberts’ long-term future with the organization. He signed a four-year contract extension after the 2018 season but now is in position to be a lame-duck manager in 2022.
While Roberts would prefer working out a new contract before then, he revealed in October that he will play out the final year of his deal no matter the circumstance.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman also downplayed the possibility of Roberts being a lame-duck manager next year, noting that both sides will have a say on the matter, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I mean, if it does (happen) it wouldn’t be something that both sides would prefer or want,” he said. “I just don’t think it’s really an issue for anyone other than the media who write about it a lot. I’m not saying that tongue in cheek. I really don’t.”
Friedman previously noted that he expects to have contract extension talks with Roberts at some point this winter. With MLB now in a lockout, that perhaps could move up the Dodgers’ list of priorities.
Despite being a constant target of criticism for some of his in-game decisions in the postseason, Roberts has been an integral part of the Dodgers’ success over recent years, and the expectation is that a new agreement will eventually be worked out.
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 finished fifth for 2021 NL Manager of the Year
After guiding the Dodgers to a franchise record-tying 106 wins this past season, Roberts placed fifth in NL Manager of the Year voting. He received six votes for third place and finished with six total points.
San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler won the award after getting 28 of 30 first-place votes, which amounted to 143 points.
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