All this offseason we have talked about free agents and contract extensions for baseball players. But what about baseball managers? Aren’t their contracts up too? One of the most popular teams’ managers has his contract extension coming up and analysts are going gaga thinking how much he will be worth.

Dave Roberts can command a deal that could break records. The highest-paid MLB manager right now and in history? Craig Counsell of the Chicago Cubs. Counsell signed a 5-year, $40 million deal with the club in November 2023. Now we all wonder whether Roberts will break Counsell’s record.

Are Dave Roberts and the Dodgers going to break the Cubs record?

In a recent episode of the Foul Territory podcast, Scott Braun asked the question: how can you justify paying him (Dave Roberts) less than Craig Counsell? Braun then adds, “Isn’t the easy no. For Dave 10? 10 a year based on Craig and being a notch above him?” To which Erik Klatz added that Roberts is a guy who is taking the team to the playoffs consistently. Klatz thinks it should be more, and he’s thinking 11 or 12 million per year.

If these analysts are correct, then Dave Roberts’ extension contract will surpass the current highest MLB manager’s contract held by Craig Counsell. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been on a winning streak under the leadership of Dave Roberts, who has turned the team into one of the most dominant forces in Major League Baseball. Over the past nine years, the Dodgers have posted an impressive 851-506 record (.627).

Craig Counsell set a new standard for managerial salaries

While general managers were huddling up in Scottsdale in November 2023 to talk trades and free agents, it was the managers who were really making headlines. And one manager, in particular, made some serious waves: Craig Counsell. Counsell, the Wisconsin native and former manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, had a lot on his mind when his contract expired at the end of the 2023 season.

He wanted to stay close to home, land a big contract with a team that had World Series aspirations, and—perhaps most importantly—make a statement about the value of managers in the game. Mission accomplished. Counsell ended up signing a five-year, $40 million deal with the Chicago Cubs, a division rival of the Brewers, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.

That’s more than double what he was making in his final year with Milwaukee ($3.5 million). Not only did Counsell score a massive payday, but he also set a new standard for managerial salaries. By taking this deal, Counsell didn’t just get what he wanted—he made a point that managers deserve to be paid better for their leadership and impact. Will other teams follow suit and show their managers the money they’ve long deserved?