Should the Dodgers move on from Dave Roberts?
What should they do?
The million dollar question.
Should the Dodgers move on from Dave Roberts?
I don’t think there is a right answer.
For the third consecutive season, the Dodgers have been eliminated from the postseason without even reaching the World Series. They haven’t even reached the NLCS in two consecutive seasons.
This is all while winning a combined 317 games. One of the best three-year stretches in baseball history and they don’t have a World Series appearance to show for it.
Take a second and re-read that right there. 317 wins in three years. An average of 106 wins a season. Not only have they not won a championship, they haven’t even made it to the World Series during this run.
Sure, winning in the regular season is fine. But it doesn’t mean much if you have nothing to show for it come October.
After another disastrous postseason exit, the seat might be hot for Dave Roberts once again. I feel like we’ve been having this conversation a lot, recently.
After leading the Dodgers to a World Series title in 2020, Roberts has failed to get his team back to the Fall Classic in three tries.
I’ll give him a pass in 2021. The Dodgers simply ran out of gas in the NLCS. The regular season was a grind trying to catch the Giants. They went five games with their division rivals in the NLDS. They were down numerous players who got hurt. Despite all that, they still pushed the eventual WS champions to six games.
What has happened the last two seasons is inexcusable.
The Dodgers had one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen in 2022. They won 111 games. Their matchup was a gift from the heavens, as they played a team they dominated all season long. They lost three games in a row to lose the series in four.
Fast forward a year and we were all expecting things to be different. After the embarrassment of 2022, no way things could go exactly the same….. right?
The Dodgers won 100 games. They were gifted another division opponent. Although they didn’t dominate them this season, they still took the season series. They also finished 16 games better than Arizona.
The Dodgers didn’t even win a game.
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I will say this. I stand by this.
Dave Roberts ISN’T TO BLAME for the Dodgers getting bounced in the NLDS. Sure, he made some questionable calls here and there, but the team didn’t lose because of him.
They lost because the starting pitching sucked. They lost because the two guys getting paid a combined $500 million completely forgot how to hit a baseball. They lost because the offense as a whole scored only six runs.
That is why the Dodgers lost the series.
With that being said, there is a very common pattern here.
For all of the painful and embarrassing postseason exits in recent years, Dave Roberts has been at the helm. He gets a pass the last two years, but should I remind you of some of the decisions he made prior to the 2020 season that cost the Dodgers playoff games and a couple of series?
Let me be the first to say I love Dave. I think he’s been the perfect fit for the Dodgers. The players clearly love playing for him. He’s a fantastic guy.
At some point, the Dodgers need to have a serious conversation about whether or not he’s the right guy to lead them to another World Series title.
Do the Dodgers make a World Series in the last three years with someone else running things? Maybe. I’m not sure. We’ll never know.
Could they reach the World Series next year with someone new calling the shots? Sure. They could also reach the World Series with Dave, as well. The tough part with firing Roberts is this, who the hell would you hire? I mean, who is a better option out there?
I said this last offseason, but the only option I thought would be better was getting Bruce Bochy out of retirement. The Rangers managed to do that, and look at them now. That was the Dodgers’ best chance of striking. They chose to stick with Dave.
I don’t know who would magically become available, but nobody is a better option at the moment. Gabe Kapler? Buck Showalter? Yeah, I’m good.
I know fans are frustrated, but the Dodgers’ hands are tied without there being a slam-dunk hire available. For that reason alone, I think they gotta stick with Roberts.
Now, I do think there should be a conversation had with Roberts and the front office. I think that they need to let him know that he’s running out of lives. You can only have so many humiliating postseason exits in a row before something is done about it. I’m not saying 2024 should be the final straw, but there needs to be something set in stone that 2024 has to be World Series or bust for him.
If he is able to get the Dodgers back to the World Series next season, his job is safe. But if he falls short with yet another 100-win season, they might have to cut their ties.
He’s got a pretty big sample size. He’s been the manager for eight seasons now and his only championship was the shortened season. I still will argue that title is as legit as any other, but the more painful postseason exits you add to his resume, it doesn’t help the case for that one. Especially this current stretch we’re on.
For Dave, I really hope he’s back next year. I’m pretty sure he will be. I think he’s the perfect manager for this team and I want to see him succeed. I want him to win another championship. I want his number retired 20 years from now. I think a lot of Dodgers fans want that.
At the end of the day, you need to put your hopes aside and do what is best for the team.
I agree. I can’t hate on Roberts. He’s getting his team to the playoffs. And I think every manager makes questionable calls during the playoffs. If the decision pays off, he’s a hero. If not, he’s a zero. But I don’t see any fire from the players. I remember when Gibson came in 1988. During Spring training, somebody pranked him. He blew up! He let it be known that he wasn’t there to f**k around. He was there to compete and win. I like Betts. I like Freeman. I’m sure they’re nice guys. But who’s bringing the fire?
I love Friedman, but I wonder about the fire sales that seem to happen with big name talent going somewhere else every offseason. It seems like they needed JT’s leadership, Trea Turner’s bat, Seaver’s energy. So many players gone who end up having amazing seasons with their new teams…what is being missed with them?