Dodgers: Andrew Friedman and Dave Roberts Talk About Contract Extension

Andrew Friedman told all who listened his confidence in arriving upon a multi-year extension with manager Dave Roberts. Earlier in the week, that’s exactly what came to fruition. Roberts signed a four-year contract with the Dodgers that runs through 2022.

Now, both Friedman and Roberts give some interesting quotes that shed light on the deal behind the deal. Friedman went into detail with just how important it was to keep the skipper on the top step for the foreseeable future.

“Keeping Doc as our leader on the field was a top priority this offseason and now that we’ve accomplished that we are excited to collectively shift all of our focus to doing all we can to bring a World Championship to our passionate fans,” said Friedman.

Roberts is the first Los Angeles Dodgers manager to lead the team to consecutive World Series appearances since Tommy Lasorda in 1977 and 1978. He has led the team to three straight division titles since assuming his current role in 2016.

Dave Roberts on His Contract Extension

Still, that’s stating what everyone knows. What no one knew until now – is what Roberts had to say following the signing of his extension. So I’ll give that to you.

“When I was hired to lead this team three years ago, I said at the time that managing the Dodgers is truly the opportunity of a lifetime and I feel the exact same way today,” said Roberts. “We’ve worked hard to develop a team and culture that will put us in position to win the World Series every season, but we still have yet to achieve our ultimate goal and that is what drives me each day. I want to thank Andrew, Stan Kasten and our outstanding ownership group for believing in me and keeping me in Dodger Blue, a uniform I’m so proud to wear.”

One should take Roberts at his word that he feels like the luckiest man in baseball to manage in Los Angeles. It’s great to hear him speak of ‘culture’, because managing the personalities and clubhouse is Roberts’ gift as the team’s leader.

Final Word

Nevertheless, Roberts will be judged on one thing over his tenure. It’s World Series win or bust. With the future in place and the cupboard stocked with great players – time is of the essence. These four years will go by quickly. That’s life in baseball – the games and seasons crawl by. Then, you look back and say to yourself ‘where has the time gone’. I believe in Roberts to a degree – and I’m happy he will have the opportunity to see this through with the current core. There simply isn’t a better fit on the market to replace him, in my opinion. Time will march on, and it will tell us if my assessment is correct.