The Los Angeles Dodgers officially revealed their Major League coaching staff under manager Dave Roberts for the 2025 season, featuring some familiar faces in new or expanded roles.
With Clayton McCollough leaving to manage the Miami Marlins, Chris Woodward will take over first base coaching duties and oversee the infield group. Woodward previously served as the Dodgers' third base coach from 2016-18 before departing to manage the Texas Rangers. He returned to the Dodgers last year as a senior advisor for Major League player development and will now be back in uniform in 2025.
Third base coach Dino Ebel, who previously coached the infielders, will now shift his coaching focus to the outfielders. Additionally, Brandon McDaniel – formerly the Dodgers' vice president of player performance – will officially join the coaching staff as the team's Major League integration development coach. As far as what that role entails... your guess is as good as ours.
Several members of the Dodgers' coaching staff will also return in the same roles in 2025, including bench coach Danny Lehmann, Major League field coordinator Bob Geren, pitching coach Mark Prior, hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, hitting coach Aaron Bates, assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness and bullpen coach Josh Bard.
Dave Roberts contract extension is the elephant in the room after Dodgers finalize coaching staff
So, Roberts' coaching staff for 2025 has been finalized. But what does the future hold for Roberts himself?
The Dodgers skipper's current contract runs through the end of 2025, but general manager Brandon Gomes said at the GM meetings this past fall that the club intended to negotiate an extension this winter. Well, winter's almost over, and it's time for Gomes to make good on his promise.
In Roberts' nine years as manager of the Dodgers, he has guided the club to an 851-506 regular season record. His .627 career winning percentage is the highest of any manager with at least 1,000 MLB games. He also won Manager of the Year in 2016 and led the Dodgers to World Series titles in 2020 and 2024.
Translation: it's time for Roberts to get paid. His next contract extension is expected to surpass the current manager record set by Craig Counsell’s five-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Cubs in 2023. Former MLB GM Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) recently said that a 10-year contract in the $80 million range would be appropriate for Roberts, and that the Dodgers could even defer some of that money (as they are wont to do).
Hopefully, it won't be long before the Dodgers announce a contract extension for Roberts – and he will likely become the highest-paid manager in MLB history when they do.
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