Former Padres Coach Dave Roberts to be Named Dodgers Manager

The 2015 San Diego Padres bench coach Dave Roberts is expected to be named as the next manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to multiple reports. I must make it clear that this is not yet a done deal. According to sources, he has been chosen but the two sides are still working out contract details. Both sides are hoping it does not turn into another Bud Black situation.

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The managing carousel is an interesting one this season, with two teams that seem to have not much tweaking to be done in the Dodgers and Nationals. The Dodgers in fact made the playoffs last season while the Nationals were World Series favorites to start the year before underperforming. That said, they still have the 2015 NL MVP in Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer who threw no-hitters. That vacancy was filled by Dusty Baker after Bud Black was chosen but contract talks fell apart.

Now it appears that Dave Roberts will fill the other spot. Roberts was a popular Dodgers player before being traded to the Red Sox in 2004 in time for the playoffs. We know what happened there.

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Roberts has been the Padres bench coach for the past 2 seasons and joined the coaching staff in 2011. In that time he has survived an episode of Hodgkins lymphona which he was diagnosed with in 2010.

The choice is interesting for the Dodgers as I don’t see at face value a big difference between former manager Don Mattingly and Dave Roberts? It seemed as if Mattingly was always irritated whenever I saw him on post-game interviews, where as Roberts seems to have a cool demeanor but in the scrutiny of LA that could be put to the test. Both are respected former players who served as bench coaches under respected managers being rising to the manager role.