Dave Roberts to Return as Dodgers Manager for 2024 MLB Season After NLDS Exit

The Los Angeles Dodgers will not be making a managerial change ahead of the 2024 MLB season.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed on Tuesday, via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, that Dave Roberts would remain as the team's field manager next season. This decision comes after the Dodgers lost in the NLDS for the second consecutive season.

Roberts has been the team's manager for eight seasons, possessing a 753-442 overall record and leading the team to three World Series appearances, including a victory in 2020.

His track record makes it seem like his job is safe, but the lack of significant playoff success is what sours his tenure as the team's manager. He inherited a team that had already made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and is consistently at the top of the league in terms of payroll.

The team's sole World Series victory came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and it has been unable to finish the job following a 162-game season. The team failed to win a playoff series in 2019, 2022 and 2023 and this regression comes as teams like the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks have seemingly narrowed the gap.

The 2023 playoff loss to the Diamondbacks was a tough pill to swallow for the team as it came in a three-game sweep where the offense was lackluster. The Dodgers were outscored 19-6 in the series and looked overmatched. This came despite having an 8-5 record against the team in the regular season, including a five-game win streak to end the season.

The Dodgers will surely be a top contender for a World Series championship again in 2024, but Roberts and Co. will have to make adjustments in order to reach the ultimate goal.