PHOENIX – Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts privately worried about his job last fall, wondering if he would be fired if they suffered another first-round exit in October.
They were down two games to one to the San Diego Padres in the best-of-five NL Division Series.
They had no starter in Game 4, and were forced to go with a bullpen game. All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman couldn’t play because of a badly sprained ankle. And shortstop Miguel Rojas, who injured his groin, tearfully had to inform Roberts that he couldn’t play either.
“I woke up that day feeling really bad, and I couldn’t play,’’ Rojas told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. “I told him, ‘Doc, I’m really sorry man, but I can’t play today. I can’t really walk.’ He texted me right back.
“’Miggy, we’re going to win the World Series this year, and we’re going to win it next year together.’ That was really special because we were one game away from not even making out of the NLDS, and he’s got the confidence on his team that we were going to win.’ You read the message, and you don’t believe it until it’s starting to happen.’’
The Dodgers, having to rely on an eight-reliever bullpen game in Game 4, won 8-0 at Petco Park, and again 2-0 in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium. They wound up winning 10 of their last 13 postseason games and cruised to the World Series title in five games over the New York Yankees. They relied on only three starters and used four bullpen games throughout the postseason.
And there was Roberts on Monday, signing a four-year, $32.4 million contract extension through 2029, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke only on the condition of anonymity because the contract is scheduled to be announced Tuesday.
“I can’t talk about it so much, but obviously there’s some closure,’’ Roberts said. “I’m excited. This is the place where I always wanted to be. I just love what we’re doing. This is pretty special. …
“There’s obviously things off the field that are important. I try to make sure that my focus stays on the players, the game, the Dodgers organization. I think I’ve done a good job.
“But the other part of that stuff is just part of the job and I’m looking forward to some closure for sure.’’
Roberts was in the final year of his three-year contract extension that paid him $4 million this season and now doubles his contract, making him the highest-paid manager on an annual average value basis.
Roberts, who has won two World Series titles and has the highest winning percentage (.627) of any manager in MLB history outside the Negro Leagues, will be paid less overall than Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s five-year, $40 million contract of a year ago. But Counsell was a free agent. Roberts was not interested in testing the market for the potential of a larger contract.
“You guys all know this is where I want to be,’’ Roberts, 52, said this spring. “I just think it all comes down to value. And I think whatever anyone does, they want their value ….
“I do my job because I love baseball, I love the Dodgers and I love the players. But I do feel the body of work is pretty dang good.”
Indeed, Roberts, who was hired after the 2015 season to replace Don Mattingly, has led the Dodgers to four National League pennants, eight division titles and nine postseason berths in his nine years, winning 907 regular-season and postseason games.
The Dodgers have won at least 100 regular-season games in five of the last six full seasons. The only season they didn’t win the NL West under Roberts was in 2021 when they won 106 games, but finished second in the NL West race to the Giants with 107 victories.
“We’re all excited,’’ Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “I couldn’t be happier for him. I already told him that dinner is on him.’’
Still, if they not gotten past the Padres in that first round, who knows what would have happened to Roberts’ job security?
“I do think that if we didn’t win that game it would have become very noisy,’’ Roberts said this spring. “A team that was obviously super-talented to lose three years in a row in the first round, albeit it takes all of us to win and lose, but I do think that calls for my job would have been heightened.”
We’ll never know for sure what would have happened to Roberts, but on Monday, his players appeared more genuinely excited for him than Roberts himself.
“He deserves this so much,’’ Rojas said. “He’s put in the time. He’s been through a lot, you know. He’s always mentioned how special it’s been for him to be the manager of this ballclub, and how special it is to be in front of this clubhouse and this franchise.
“He embodies what it means to be a good leader. And that’s what I really care about, the personality, the character and always communicating with everybody.
“That’s why I gave him a big hug today because I know how hard it’s been.’’
The Dodgers’ World Series title was their first in a full season since 1988, making Roberts only the third Dodgers manager to win more multiple World Series titles.
“It’s interesting where you don’t win a series and you can feel calls for your job,’’ Roberts said in February. “But you win the World Series and now people are saying you’re going to Cooperstown.”
The only active managers who have won multiple World Series titles are Bruce Bochy of the Texas Rangers (four) and the Cincinnati Reds’ Terry Francona (two), each of whom are considered locks for the Hall of Fame.
Roberts will be one of only seven managers this century who will have managed one team for at least 10 years, joining Mike Scioscia (2000-2018 with the Angels), Ron Gardenhire (2002-2014 with the Twins), Bochy (2007-2019 with the Giants), Joe Girardi (2008-2017 with the Yankees), Bob Melvin (2012-2021 with the A’s), Francona (2013-2023 with the Guardians) and Kevin Cash 2015-2025 with the Rays).
The Dodgers, who had only two managers in 43 years with Alston and Lasorda from 1954-1996, now continue the tradition with Roberts.
“It couldn’t happen,’’ Rojas said, “to a better person.’’
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