Current Dodgers player throws hat in ring to succeed Dave Roberts as future manager
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By most metrics, Dave Roberts is the most succesful manager in Dodgers history. With 753 wins since 2016, he has the franchise's fourth-most wins after Walter Alston, Tommy Lasorda, and Wilbert Robinson. His .630 winning percentage is the best of any LA skipper who's managed more than 300 games, and he's led the Dodgers to a record eight playoff appearances and 45 playoff wins.
Any talk of Roberts being let go after this season is silly. The front office has yet to extend him past this year, but it would be a massive shock if they parted ways with him, even if the Dodgers don't win the World Series.
Roberts is widely beloved by his players (even if some fans don't have the same fondness) and his record speaks for itself.
Whenever the Dodgers do inevitably have to part with Roberts for one reason or another, his shoes will be tough to fill. However, a current Dodger believes that he could be up to the challenge.
Miguel Rojas said this week that not only does he want to retire as a Dodger, but he wants to be in LA long-term to serve as a coach and someday maybe even as a manager.
Miguel Rojas wants to retire as a Dodger and be a manager one day:
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) July 17, 2024
"I would like to retire as a Dodger and I want to stay on as a coach with the team after I'm done playing. I want to play at least a couple more years. My goal is to manage one day."
Miguel Rojas wants to retire with Dodgers, coach, and possibly even manage someday
Rojas did say that he wants to play "at least a couple more years," which could potentially happen if the Dodgers pick up his club option for the 2025 season and then bring him back in free agency for 2026. Rojas is 35, but is having his best year with the Dodgers so far, so if he can keep it up, one more year after his contract is up isn't totally out of the question (though, to be fair, it does feel a little unlikely).
He's also gone to great lengths already to establish himself as a leader in the Dodgers' clubhouse. He notably greeted Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the team with a bottle of wine, per Freddie Freeman's suggestion, and volleyed strong words at former teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. after Rojas' leadership was slammed ahead of the season.
Rojas clearly loves his current team, and he's stepped up massively for them in Mookie Betts' absence, both offensively and defensively. Although manager probably isn't a post that will open up anytime soon, the Dodgers could definitely put Rojas' interest on the back burner for later exploration. Former player Stephen Vogt is leading the Guardians to their best season in seven years in his first season at the helm, so why couldn't Rojas do the same for the Dodgers?
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