The Dodgers fell to the Nationals 7-3 in 10 innings in Game 5 of the NLDS Wednesday night, a bitter end to what was otherwise another terrific season in Los Angeles. The loss was, in part, due to yet more mismanagement of the bullpen by manager Dave Roberts. There was some consternation that, despite the Dodgers’ sustained success in recent years, Roberts could be on the hot seat.
Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reports that Dave Roberts will remain the Dodgers’ manager in 2020. The skipper signed a four-year contract extension with the Dodgers last December.
Under Roberts, the Dodgers have gone 393-256 during the regular season, winning the NL West all four years. They reached at least the NLCS from 2016-18, and lost in the World Series in ’17 and ’18 before Wednesday’s heartbreaking loss to knock them out of the Division Series.
The Dodgers figure to return in 2020 with a roster that’s largely similar to the one they put together this year. Despite some expensive players like Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, and Kenley Jansen, a large percentage of the active roster is either pre-arbitration or going through the arbitration process. According to Cot’s Contracts, without accounting for those arbitration-eligible players’ salaries, the Dodgers have $112 million committed for the 2020 season. The Dodgers could make plays for some big name free agents if they wanted to, giving Roberts even more to work with.