Dave Roberts just gave Dodgers fans a little more to think about after reaching a major career marker.
Los Angeles picked up another series win with its victory over the Athletics last week, and the 9-3 result also delivered Roberts his 1,000th win as a manager. He got there faster than anyone before him, reaching the milestone in his 1,606th game with the Dodgers.
The moment carried extra weight because Roberts has spent so much of his run in Los Angeles building a steady, winning standard that can sometimes get overlooked. At the same time, the milestone opened the door to a bigger question: how much longer does he actually want to keep doing this?
Roberts is in his 11th season leading the Dodgers, and his contract runs through 2029. Even so, he hinted that his timeline might stretch beyond that, with Mookie Betts playing a role in how he thinks about the future. Betts is under contract in Los Angeles through 2032, the same year Roberts turns 60.
“Mookie wants me to manage until his contract expires, so that’s something I am thinking about,” Roberts said. “But I can be certain I’m not going to do 20 years.
It’s too much. I love it, but it’s a lot to give.
To see myself doing that for another seven, eight, nine years, that’s a lot."
Roberts pointed to the grind of the job as part of why that number has a limit. The daily pressure never really stops, and managing now comes with a heavier load than it did in earlier eras, especially with analytics woven into nearly every decision over a 162-game season and beyond.
He also drew a line between the modern version of the job and the long tenures of Tommy Lasorda and Walter Alston, saying the responsibilities have expanded.
“There’s more to the job [today]. Nothing against Tommy or Walter, but there’s more to the job than there used to be. That’s just the truth," Roberts said.
For now, Roberts is still chasing more hardware. The Dodgers are aiming for a three-peat this season, and a title would give him his fourth World Series championship as manager. However long he stays, the culture he’s built in Los Angeles remains one of the defining parts of his tenure.
In Other News...
Dodgers Are Paying For Their Spending Again In The 2026 Draft
The Dodgers habit of spending aggressively has finally come back around on them in draft form. Because they pushed past the Competitive Balance Tax surcharge threshold, their highest pick in 2026 gets knocked back 10 spots from where it would have landed naturally, and the bonus-pool hit leaves them with just $3,951,900 to work with, the smallest pool in baseball. For a front office that has often used financial muscle to widen its options, that is a meaningful squeeze.
Even so, there are still ways to find value if the board breaks right. Names like Virginia commit Bo Lowrance could come into play because of signability, while Logan Reddemann and Brody Bumila fit the kind of profile teams often monitor late in the first round and beyond when health questions or medical history start to push talented players down the board. For the Dodgers, the challenge is less about identifying talent than figuring out how far that talent might fall before the money and the pick slot finally line up. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Waste Dominant Start In Another Rockies Loss That Stings
Justin Wrobleski gave the Dodgers exactly what they needed on the mound, working seven strong innings while the offense did enough to build a cushion against Colorado. Shohei Ohtani also delivered a milestone moment in the opener of the series, and Andy Pages plus Alex Freeland helped push Los Angeles to three runs, the kind of support that usually makes a road trip feel manageable even when the margins are thin.
Instead, the game turned on one ugly defensive inning and left the Dodgers staring at another loss to a Rockies club they should have handled. The lead was in place late, the pitching line was there, and the bats had done their part, but a few misfires in the field erased all of it in a hurry and turned a solid night into one that will linger a while. [Read more 🡒]
Mookie Betts Just Said What Dodgers Fans Feel About Will Smith
Will Smith has been out since June 6 with a neck injury, and the Dodgers have spent the stretch leaning on Dalton Rushing behind the plate while he gets a crash course in the jobs less glamorous demands. Smith has started hitting and throwing again as he works his way back, but the full ramp-up still has a few boxes to check before he can even think about rejoining the lineup.
Mookie Betts, like plenty of Dodgers fans, has come away with a sharper appreciation for what Smith brings when he is healthy. Rushing has had the kind of learning moments that come with catching a major league staff, and the Dodgers are still waiting on the next steps in Smiths recovery before they can circle a more realistic return window, likely sometime in late July or early August. [Read more 🡒]