On Wednesday, the San Diego Padres formally announced a two-year contract extension for manager Mike Shildt. After a 93-win regular season, the Padres came within one game of eliminating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series — closer than the New York Mets and New York Yankees did in the rounds that followed.
Will another NL West manager be the next to sign a new contract?
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Dave Roberts’ .627 regular season winning percentage is not only the highest all-time among active managers, but it’s also the best in American or National League history. Although his postseason resumé was a frequent target for his critics, the Dodgers just wrapped up their second championship in 10 seasons under Roberts in October.
Now, he’s the most logical candidate for a contract extension in baseball. General manager Brandon Gomes seemed to acknowledge as much in his comments to reporters Wednesday at baseball’s GM Meetings in San Antonio, Texas, saying he hoped to get an extension done with Roberts this winter.
Roberts, 52, is 851-506 in his career since the Dodgers hired him prior to the 2016 season. He has won eight National League West titles in his nine-year career in Los Angeles.
Many considered the 2024 postseason to be exemplary of Roberts’ best work, as he deftly navigated the limits of a three-man starting rotation to beat the Padres, Mets, and Yankees en route to the championship.
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