Dave Roberts has become one of the must-see entities in the world of baseball. But he isn’t just sitting in the dugout twiddling his thumbs, while the Los Angeles Dodgers draft a contract. No sir, the man’s got a message, and it is clearer than the walk-off home run Freddie Freeman hit in the World Series. With contract negotiations ongoing, Roberts is not interested in playing politics. But he is more focused on reminding everyone who is the one steering the boat towards titles. Let’s be honest- when the captain of the ship talks, you listen. And the captain of the ship has spoken.

Roberts has taken huge strides with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the past few years. The results make it clear – the Dodgers have not only won 2 World Series in the past 6 years but have also consistently made the playoffs. After extending the contract in 2022, Dave Roberts will be in his last year for the 2025 season with the Dodgers. But the negotiations have started to extend his stay with the Dodgers.

Amid all this, Dave Roberts sends a clear message to the Los Angeles Dodgers front office. During the Baseball Tonight Podcast, he said, “I’m going to focus on getting better as a manager, getting our guys prepared for opening day for this great season, to win another championship. And hopefully, everything takes care of itself, but it’s about value. And I just love this organization, but yeah, you wanna feel your value, absolutely.”

Roberts is fully focused on winning games with the current super team and winning more titles with the Dodgers and making them a dynasty. The manager is hopeful that if he focuses on doing his job the rest will take care of itself. But he says that the contract should make him feel valued. And he is right. After becoming the first manager from the minority to win the World Series, he will expect a contract with good money.

If the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series in 2025, do you think that Dave Roberts deserves a better contract than what has been drafted, or should it be the same? Whatever the decision is, he will have to do well this season for him to get the big contract that everybody is talking about.

Big bucks, big bench: How top-paid managers delivered

When MLB team front offices spend big bucks on managerial talent, the expectations are sky-high. Over the years, many managers have had lucrative contracts and have been tasked to bring the titles home. While some teams have managed this and showed how dominant they are, others have fallen short. From Craig Counsell’s 5-year, $40 million deal with the Cubs to Bruce Bochy’s recent payday with the Rangers, these contracts are very often a gamble. But the real question is- are the managers are worthy of these hefty paychecks?

Leading the list is Craig Counsell. He signed the biggest managerial contract in MLB for a 5-year, $40 million deal with the Cubs. With this contract and some big signings to back it up, he has managed to take the Cubs into the postseason in 2024. This shows his effective leadership skills and his great strategic thinking. Many fans and analysts have praised his ability to adapt to the situation and his strong connection with the players.

But on the flip side, managers like Gabe Kepler and Aaron Boone have not been able to prove themselves. Following his generous Giants contract, Gabe Kapler dealt with unsound team play even though his team won a division title in 2021. After this, he was not able to make any impact on the team. Following his firing in 2023, he has not taken any managerial jobs and headed to the Miami Marlins for his front office job.

The same is true with Aaron Boone. Boone has been backed by multi-year deals but has not been able to prove it. He has made the postseason many times but has not been able to win anything significant. The Yankees and Aaron Boone did make it to the World Series in 2024. But they were humiliated by the Los Angeles Dodgers. They lost the World Series 4-1, and it was one of the most one-sided World Series ever. They have extended his contract for the 2025 season, which will be crucial as it will decide his future with the Yankees.

This proves that money can’t buy championships, if not used correctly. We have seen many managers take up big, lucrative contracts and not even perform up to par. But we have also seen managers who have taken smaller contracts and made a big difference in the league. Will this year’s investments pay off?