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While the Los Angeles Dodgers have had a busy offseason, there is still some unfinished business left to take care of.
Manager Dave Roberts is in the final year of his contract with the Dodgers. Roberts said on “”Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney Podcast” that his representatives and the Dodgers have just started discussions on an extension.
“We have just started talking,” Roberts said. “I’m hopeful, but I’m focused on winning games. I want to focus on getting better as a manager, getting our guys prepared for Opening Day, for this great season, to win another championship.”
The Dodgers have been clear that they envision Roberts staying on as their manager into the foreseeable future. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported early in November that Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said that he sees Roberts as the manager “as far as we see out.”
Roberts had carved out a place in baseball lore before becoming a manager. He ignited the 2004 Red Sox improbable comeback against the Yankees with his steal of second in the ninth inning of Game Four in the ALCS. Roberts spent 10 years in the majors, posting a .266/.342/.366 batting line in his 3092 plate appearances, stealing 243 bases.
Roberts has been more successful as the Dodgers manager. He has an 851-506 record during his time in Los Angeles, winning four National League pennants and a pair of World Series titles. Roberts won the 2016 NL Manager of the Year Award and has finished second twice. The Dodgers have yet to miss the postseason under Roberts’ watch and have finished second in the NL West only once — when they won 106 games in 2021.
It is easy to look past Roberts’ role in the Dodgers’ success. The Dodgers have spent lavishly in free agency to the point where there are questions about whether it is good for the game. While the Dodgers are as close to a superteam as possible, someone still needs to put those players in the right spots to succeed. Bullpen management, overcoming injuries and the ability to manage the different personalities are often overlooked. Roberts has done his job well and should continue as the Dodgers manager into the foreseeable future.
