It’s starting to feel very real that Dave Roberts won’t return to Dodgers after 2022

So perhaps we weren’t crazy to question why manager Dave Roberts hadn’t gotten an extension from the Los Angeles Dodgers yet despite the almost endless success he’s seen in his first ever stint on the job?

Roberts is heading into the final year of his contract with the team, but there’s been absolute silence on that front, which is all the most puzzling because teams can revamp their coaching staffs and minor league rosters amid the lockout. Wouldn’t this kind of discussion take place when no other meaningful discussions were permitted?

We questioned whether the Dodgers felt he would be the right guy for the next era when this current core is gone, and wondered the same if the front office’s post-lockout moves didn’t go as planned. Since LA’s front office calls a lot of the shots, perhaps they’re looking for a different skipper to implement their philosophy and vision if the personnel is entirely different.

Apparently, those inclinations were somewhat validated by a trusted team source in his latest mailbag roundup.

Will Dave Roberts manage the Dodgers beyond the 2022 season?

Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic team (subscription required) was asked about a potential Roberts extension and what’s going on with the talks, and here’s what he had to say:

"“That we are sitting here at the end of January and the Dodgers haven’t signed him to an extension yet isn’t the most encouraging sign, but it also could be meaningless. From what I’ve heard, there has not been much traction on this front. That could change, though. While staff extensions typically come during this time of year (and player contract extensions usually come up around spring training), the Dodgers and Roberts could still hammer something out later if both sides want to stay together beyond 2022. As of now, however, it’s definitely more of a question of if rather than when Roberts gets extended.”"

That last sentence threw everything for a loop. Before hearing that, it indeed felt like a matter of when, not if, but Ardaya’s intel suggests otherwise. And when you think about it, the changes in the front office (and elsewhere) this offseason might signal more is to come with both the 2022 and 2023 rosters very incomplete at the moment.

But you’re going to have a lame duck manager sending messages like this out to the city when another LA team has made a championship game? Come on now.

What we do know is the Dodgers’ braintrust does things their way. It’s evident how they can plug almost anybody into the system and it pretty much works. Fans’ criticism of Roberts and his lack of baseball instincts at times would suggest the same for his role. But be careful what you wish for because there’s no manager with a better winning record who’s spent three or more seasons with the franchise.

Why are the Dodgers taking so long to extend Dave Roberts?

The Los Angeles Dodgers still have yet to extend manager Dave Roberts, who has one year left on his contract. What's the wait?