Not waiting too long after letting Don Mattingly go, the Los Angeles Dodgers have decided on Dave Roberts to take over the managerial reigns. After a lengthy, but generally undistinguished playing career (outside of one extremely important stolen base), Roberts began his coaching career with the San Diego Padres in 2011 as their third base coach. He quickly moved up the ranks to bench coach where he worked from 2013 through this past season.
Welcome back, Dave! Dave Roberts has been named the 10th manager in Los Angeles Dodger history. #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/Ru3Bb58C51
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 23, 2015
Mattingly was always partially successful as the manager of the Dodgers from 2011 through 2015, winning at least 82 games each season and 94 in 2014, winning the division each of the final three seasons. Despite this regular season success and top eight finishes in the Manager of the Year voting in four of his five seasons (including a second place finish in 2013 and sixth in 2015), he was let go for not bringing the highest paid team in baseball beyond the early rounds of the play-offs.
Given the situation coming in, Roberts is not in an enviable position. The current Dodgers roster is filled with many conflicting, big personalities, aging and overpaid veterans, and a superstar who is deservedly the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history. Considering only Clayton Kershaw, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Brandon McCarthy, the Dodgers have guaranteed contracts worth more than $355 million due between now and 2020, and it will be up to Roberts to figure out how to get enough playing time for the veterans to justify those paychecks while still trying to win games by playing their more talented young stars.
Much of this struggle will come in the outfield and the first thing Roberts will need to deal with is one of those young stars, Yasiel Puig. There have been trade rumors firing for what seems like forever as the Cuban with a fiery attitude, high strike out rate and tons of talent continues to rub his teammates the wrong way. Most recently, Andy Van Slyke insinuated on a radio show that Kershaw wants Puig off the team and at the same time that reports have come out that at least one suitor is no longer interested and that the Dodgers might not trade Puig at all.
This is a fine mess to enter into for Roberts, but there is also a chance for glory. The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988 and there is a reason some of those players listed above are paid as much as they are. Stocked full of talent, there is no reason LA shouldn’t return to the play-offs next year no matter who the manager and if Roberts could be revered just for winning a series or two. Off-season strategy is likely one reason the Dodgers wanted to decide on a manger before the Winter Meetings and if he is somehow able to handle all these personalities, Roberts has a chance of being extremely successful.
If anyone can succeed in such an environment, Roberts is an ideal candidate. He did happen to win a World Series while counting Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Curt Schilling as his teammates.
