The Los Angeles Dodgers made clear all offseason that they intended on locking up manager Dave Roberts on a long-term contract extension. And while it took a little longer than expected, on Monday the deal got done: According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Dodgers have tacked on three more years to Roberts' existing contract at just over $8 million a year, keeping him around through at least the 2029 season.
Roberts hasn't always been the most popular man in L.A., as the Dodgers repeatedly found ways to fall short come playoff time. But he and his team exorcised a whole lot of demons last year, overcoming a slew of injuries to capture the franchise's first full-season World Series title since 1988. Roberts has the highest win percentage of anyone in MLB history to have managed at least 1,000 games, and whatever you may feel about his bullpen management at times, it's clear he has the pulse of his clubhouse and stands as the unquestioned leader of the most successful team in the sport.
And yet, despite all that, his most recent payday doesn't put him in a stratosphere all his own. Instead, Roberts is merely tied atop the list of the highest-paid managers in baseball, neck-and-neck with someone who doesn't have nearly as much hardware in his trophy case just yet.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Dave Roberts extension ups the ante even higher for Craig Counsell in Chicago
The Chicago Cubs made poaching Craig Counsell from the Milwaukee Brewers their top priority last offseason, and they paid for the privilege, prying him free from their division rivals with a record five-year, $40 million contract that completely reset the manager market. It was hard to argue with the decision at the time: It's just money, after all, and Counsell had consistently done more with less during his time in Milwaukee.
After falling short of the playoffs in 2024, however, the pressure has ratched up on just about everybody in Chicago, and Counsell is at or near the top of that list. The Cubs paid him a unique amount of money because they thought that he was a unique manager who would have a unique impact on the outcome of games. But that didn't bear out in year one, and Roberts only managing to match him with this new extension just goes to show how far ahead of the market Chicago truly was.
Of course, if Counsell wins big with what appears to be a strong roster in 2025, nobody will care just how much he's making. If Chicago falls short again, though, you can bet that his salary will become fodder for a whole lot of naysayers next winter.