The Los Angeles Dodgers and their longtime manager Dave Roberts are closing in on a contract extension, ESPN reports.
Alden Gonzalez writes:
“Roberts and the Dodgers have been in serious talks on a new deal since around the start of February. Despite being far apart in some stretches along the way, the two sides are expected to lock in a new deal before the Dodgers leave for Japan, where they will open their season, next Wednesday.”
Roberts, 52, has completed nine seasons as Dodgers manager, and he’s enjoyed an elite level of success over that span. Across those nine seasons, Roberts has guided the Dodgers to a cumulative record of 851-506, nine postseason appearances, eight division titles, five 100-win seasons, four pennants, and, of course, two World Series titles — one in the abbreviated 2020 season and one last year.
Dodgers slow down Shohei Ohtani’s pitching rehab as he ramps up hitting after shoulder surgery Matt Snyder Dodgers slow down Shohei Ohtani’s pitching rehab as he ramps up hitting after shoulder surgery Roberts’ winning percentage of .627 is tops all-time among those who have managed at least 1,000 games in MLB. As well, he ranks 12th all-time in most games over .500 (344 and counting), and his 56 postseason wins rank sixth all-time. He’s currently under contract with the Dodgers through the end of the 2025 season.
Speaking of that 2025 season, the Dodgers and their star-laden roster will be angling to become the first repeat champion in MLB since the 1999-2000 New York Yankees. At the same time, Roberts will try to become the 11th manager ever to win at least three World Series titles.
The Seattle Mariners will be without a member of their vaunted rotation to begin the season. Right-hander George Kirby has been shut down with shoulder inflammation, the team announced Friday. Kirby has not been bouncing back well between outings and was sent for tests, which revealed the inflammation. He will start the season on the injured list.
“We did an MRI. MRI looks great. No structural concerns whatsoever. And I will repeat that, zero structural concerns,” GM Justin Hollander said. “There is some inflammation in there that we need to get out. Much to George’s chagrin, we’re going to take the ball out of his hands. George wants to keep going … We will shut George down and work on getting the inflammation out.”
Hollander added the injury is “more like a week-to-week thing than a day-to-day thing,” and the Mariners will proceed with the big picture in mind rather than doing whatever gets Kirby back on the mound the quickest. He dealt with shoulder inflammation in 2020 and again as a minor leaguer in 2021, though this will be his first ever stint on the MLB injured list.
player headshot team logo George Kirby SEA • SP • #68 ERA 3.53 WHIP 1.07 IP 191 BB 23 K 179 View Profile The Mariners have one of the best rotations in baseball. Their 1-5 can match up with any team. The depth behind that top five is not great, however, and it will be tested early the season while Kirby is sidelined. Seattle’s rotation depth chart looks something this:
RHP Logan Gilbert RHP George Kirby (will start season on injured list) RHP Luis Castillo RHP Bryce Miller RHP Bryan Woo RHP Emerson Hancock RHP Jhonathan Díaz (cleared waivers in February) RHP Casey Lawrence (37-year-old journeyman) RHP Logan Evans (never pitched above Double-A) Hancock is the odds-on favorite to slide into Kirby’s rotation spot. He’s struggled to establish himself at the big league level since being the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 draft. Hancock, 26 in May, has a 4.71 ERA in 15 MLB starts the last two years.
The Mariners have been criticized about their lack of spending, including by their former players, and the lack of investment in the offense means the club’s margin of error isn’t large. Losing Kirby for any length of time is a major blow. Seattle’s chances revolve around their rotation being great, and now they’ll be without on their top starters to begin the regular season.
Kirby, 27, made his MLB debut in May 2022 and has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since. Last year he threw 191 innings with a 3.53 ERA and an MLB-best 7.78 K/BB ratio. Over the last two seasons, Kirby has walked only 42 batters in 381 2/3 innings. His 0.99 BB/9 those two years is easily the lowest in baseball.
The Mariners went 85-77 and missed the postseason by one game in 2024. The snapped their two-decade postseason drought in 2022, but have missed the postseason the last two years.
Last month the Toronto Blue Jays failed to reached a long-term contract extension with first baseman and franchise player Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero set a Feb. 18 deadline for talks (Toronto’s first full squad workout) and the two sides were unable to reach a deal. He will become a free agent after the season and will test the open market.
“We didn’t get an agreement. Now they’re going to have to compete with 29 other teams,” Guerrero said following his self-imposed deadline. “… They had their numbers, I had my numbers. It’s just business, like I always say. Things happen. We’re all good.”
Guerrero confirmed the Blue Jays offered a $340 million extension early in the offseason, before Juan Soto changed the landscape with his record 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets. We don’t know what Toronto offered at the Feb. 18 deadline. We do know what Guerrero asked for though. He confirmed this week he sought a deal worth less than $600 million.
Here’s what Guerrero told ESPN’s Enrique Rojas and Ernesto Jerez earlier this week:
“It’s much less than Soto. We’re talking about many fewer millions than Soto, more than a hundred million less. … It was the same number of years [as Soto’s contract], but it didn’t reach [$600 million]. The last number we gave them as a counteroffer didn’t reach 600,” Guerrero said.
“I know the business. I lowered the salary demands a bit, but I also lowered the number of years. … I’m looking for 14 [years]. I would like 14, 15, even 20 if they give them to me, but doing it the right way.”
Guerrero, like Soto, is entering his age 26 season. Soto was a year younger than Guerrero when he hit free agency and his 15-year contract takes him through his age 40 season. Guerrero said he asked for “the same number of years” as Soto, meaning a 15-year deal that takes him through age 41. For a star player in his mid-20s, a deal that takes him to age 40 is not an unreasonable ask.
Prior to his extension deadline, we listed Guerrero as one of 10 extension candidates entering spring training, and we workshopped an offer that came out to $585 million. Here’s the write-up:
These days, stars get signed through age 39 (Mookie Betts, Aaron Judge) or 40 (Soto, Manny Machado). That’s the magic number. To sign Guerrero through age 39, it would be a 13-year deal starting in 2026. Call it $45 million a year and that’s $585 million total. And given the leverage Vlad Jr. has over the Blue Jays, that could become 14 years at closer to $50 million per year real quick. Crazy? Yeah, maybe, though contracts for stars in their mid-20s always always wind up larger than expected. Remember, at this time last year, we were talking about Soto maybe cracking $500 million. Whatever you think Guerrero will get, take the over.
Guerrero said his offer to the Blue Jays was the same number of years as Soto (15) but also worth less than $600 million, so less than $40 million per year. Soto ($51 million), Shohei Ohtani ($46.1 million after deferrals), Judge ($40 million), and Alex Bregman ($40 million before deferrals) are the only $40 million per year position players in baseball right now.
Phillies’ Bryce Harper would change positions for right first baseman; could that include Vlad Guerrero Jr.? Mike Axisa Phillies’ Bryce Harper would change positions for right first baseman; could that include Vlad Guerrero Jr.? Whether giving Guerrero a 15-year deal worth close to $600 million is a smart baseball move is a separate matter. Given the contract landscape for star players in their mid-20s, Guerrero and his camp were not being unreasonable by seeking a contract that locked him up through age 40 and approached $40 million a year. That’s what it costs to sign top players this young.
Last season, Guerrero authored a .323/.396/.544 batting line with 44 doubles and 30 home runs. That earned him a sixth-place finish in the AL MVP voting on a last-place team that went 74-88 and missed the postseason by 12 games. Since his MLB debut in 2021, Guerrero’s 137 OPS+ is the seventh highest among the 41 players with at least 3,000 plate appearances.
Guerrero is not the only core Blue Jays player scheduled to become a free agent after his season. Chris Bassitt, Bo Bichette, and Chad Green will also hit the market. Toronto has money to spend. They’ve pursued several big-name free agents in the last few years, including Ohtani and Soto. They just have a hard time getting players to take their money.
