Dave Roberts might've hinted at a stalemate in contract extension talks with Dodgers

With Kiké Hernández back on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster as of Feb. 9, that should be it for LA's offseason outside of their inevitable re-signing of Clayton Kershaw, whenever it happens.

All told, the Dodgers have given out nine new deals, with three re-signings, and extended Tommy Edman for five years. Hernández, Kirby Yates, and Michael Conforto's deals are all for just one year, but otherwise, the Dodgers' roster looks fortified for years to come.

However, a notable member has yet to reach an agreement with the team regarding his future in LA. Dave Roberts has been extended twice already since becoming the Dodgers' manager ahead of the 2016 season, once in 2018 to keep him through 2022, and then again in 2022 to keep him through 2025.

The upcoming season is technically a walk year for Roberts, but an extension feels inevitable. Although his tenure has been imperfect, he's led the Dodgers to two World Series championships, two National League pennants and is the franchise's winningest manager by most metrics.

On Buster Olney's "Baseball Tonight" podcast, Roberts confirmed that extension talks had taken place, but he also hinted at a roadblock: "Hopefully, everything takes care of itself. But it’s about value. And I love this organization, but yeah, you want to feel your value. Absolutely."

Dave Roberts reveals extension talks with Dodgers have started, but with a caveat

The dollar figures attached to Roberts' last two extensions is unknown, but especially after the team's World Series win last year, there's no reason to expect that he should make less than Craig Counsell's record-breaking five-year, $40 million deal with the Cubs going forward.

Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes has said plainly, "We want Dave here," so it should be expected that both sides do what they can to bridge any gaps, and it would be a travesty if the Dodgers refused to pay their manager after spending so exorbitantly on players this offseason.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted figures for Roberts that would blow Counsell's deal out of the water: "a 10-year contract in the $80 million range would be appropriate." That amount of time would make sense, given the length of some of the Dodgers' deals (Shohei Ohtani will be a Dodgers through 2033, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto through 2035), and the $8 million AAV would match Counsell's.

Hopefully, the Dodgers take care of business and make Roberts feel, as he said, valued. He's certainly proven that he's good for it.