Dodgers News: Dave Roberts talks contract extension, LA announces new sponsorship

The Dodgers extended Dave Roberts through the 2029 season on Tuesday, after they set an unofficial deadline to get a new deal done before the team left for the Tokyo Series. Roberts got an extra four years tacked onto his current extension, which takes him through 2025, as well as $32.4 million to surpass Craig Counsell's record $8 million a year with the Cubs.

Roberts has the best record of any active manager who's helmed at least 1,000 games, and although we could be having a very different conversation if the Dodgers hadn't made it out of the NLDS, they were never going to let him go after last year's World Series win.

He appeared on MLB Network on Wednesday and told Harold Reynolds and Matt Vasgersian, "There's no place I'd rather be. [...] [Extension talks] started at the end of January, and Andrew always said, 'We're gonna get it done and let's just lock in the players.' It was obviously a pretty busy offseason for the Dodgers, so I think it was something we knew we were gonna get done and ultimately we made it happen."

Dodgers News: Dave Roberts celebrates extension, LA makes another deal with Japanese sponsor

As the Dodgers were about to board a plane to Tokyo, the team announced yet another sponsorship with a Japanese company. This time it's Hakkaisan Brewing, a sake company, and products will be "available at select Dodger Stadium concession locations, and that features in-stadium promotion and activations, as well as participation at off-stadium events."

After LA signed Shohei Ohtani, Japanese sponsorships were quick to roll in. Kowa Company, which manufactures a topical pain relief product, All Nippon Airways, Daiso, and Toyo Tires were among the first in line. Although the Dodgers haven't disclosed exactly how much money they made off of these deals, rumors suggest that they netted over $120 million in 2024, which already pays off nearly two years of Ohtani's deal.

The Angels also experienced a nice sponsorship boost when they had Ohtani, but even those speculated figures don't match up to the Dodgers' in 2024. Japanese fans are flocking to LA just to see the Dodgers, with "an estimated 30 percent of all Japanese tourists to the United States now includ[ing] a visit to Dodger Stadium in their itinerary."

The Dodgers have already made themselves the landing spot for both Japanese players and fans, and now they're just reaping the rewards.