Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts progressing in talks on a record extension: Source

The Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts are progressing in talks on a contract extension that is expected to set a new record for average annual value for a manager, a league source confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday.

The organization has been engaging Roberts on an extension throughout spring training. The two-time World Series-winning manager is largely expected to agree on a new deal before the team boards its flight Wednesday for the season opener in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs.

The New York Post first reported that Roberts — currently in the final year of a three-year extension he agreed to in late March 2022 — was advancing in talks for a new deal.

Roberts’ deal will likely top the $8 million per year that Craig Counsell received from the Chicago Cubs after the 2023 season, a record that included a $40 million guarantee over five years. Counsell had allowed his contract with the Milwaukee Brewers to expire. That day, Roberts praised what Counsell’s deal would mean for the market for managers throughout the sport.

Since being hired ahead of the 2016 season, Roberts has been the winningest manager in the sport — and would have been in just about any other era. No manager in the American or National League history has won games at a higher clip than Roberts’ .627 winning percentage, and only the Texas Rangers’ Bruce Bochy has more postseason wins (57) among active managers. In October, Roberts joined Bochy and the Cincinnati Reds’ Terry Francona as the only active managers with multiple World Series titles.

October helped to cement what likely will be a Hall of Fame-worthy legacy for Roberts. He steered a Dodgers club overflowing with talent but overcome by injuries. When the Dodgers were pushed to the brink of elimination, down 2-1 in the NL Division Series to the San Diego Padres, Roberts managed a bullpen game, sparking a run of 24 consecutive scoreless innings that extended into the next round. Roberts drew praise from players and executives alike as the Dodgers, with just three healthy starting pitchers, won their second championship in five seasons.

Two of the managers Roberts beat en route to that title, San Diego’s Mike Shildt and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Boone, have since signed extensions.

(Photo: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)