The Los Angeles Dodgers orchestrated another spending spree in free agency this offseason and seemingly checked off every box for their roster as the start of Spring Training looms.
But still left in the balance is a new contract extension for manager Dave Roberts. He’s entering the final season of a three-year extension signed in March 2025.
The Dodgers front office publicly admitted signing Roberts to a new deal was among their priorities this winter, but that they would first focus on the roster.
With those moves now in place, Roberts said negotiations have begun and he’s looking to receive value from the Dodgers, via the “Baseball Tonight” podcast with ESPN’s Buster Olney:
“We have just started talking. I think for me, I’m hopeful but I’m going to focus on winning games, I’m going to focus on getting better as a manager, getting our guys prepared for Opening Day of this great season to win another championship, and hopefully everything takes care of itself.
“But it’s about value. I just love this organization, but you want to feel your value. Absolutely.”
Roberts has signed two contract extensions during his tenure as Dodgers manager, and each 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. But in 2022 he signed the extension two weeks before the start of the regular season.
“We’ve been in contact with Dave, and we always keep those conversations private,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said at DodgerFest. “So when we have something to announce, we’ll certainly let you guys know.”
Roberts has guided the Dodgers to at least 90 wins in every full year as manager, and during the 2020 season, led them to the Majors’ best record at 43-17. The .717 winning percentage extrapolated over a 162-game season amounts to 116 wins.
The Dodgers have won the National League West eight times under Roberts, to go along with four pennants and two World Series titles.
Roberts’ career .627 winning percentage is the highest of any manager in MLB history (minimum 315 games). It’s bested only by Negro League managers Bullet Rogan (.698), Vic Harris (.663) and Rube Foster (.633).
Among all-time Dodgers managers, Roberts is fourth in total wins. Ahead of him are Walter Alston (2,040), Tommy Lasorda (1,599) and Wilbert Robinson (1,375). Roberts is entering the 2025 season as 851 managerial wins.
Potential Dave Roberts contract extension
The current gold standard in terms of manager salary is Craig Counsell, who signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Cubs last year. Counsell’s contract with the Cubs currently stands as the biggest for a manager in MLB history.
Comparatively, Roberts had a $3.25 million salary last season, good for only 11th among all managers. Given his sustained success, Roberts should break the MLB record for the largest annual salary of an MLB manager if not total value of a contract as well.
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