Photo: Stacie Wheeler

Word broke tonight that Dave Roberts will return as Dodgers’ manager next season, much to the chagrin of many a Dodger fan. I’ve long since defended Roberts against the hordes of people who wanted him fired long ago, but even I couldn’t defend his decisions last night.

I don’t think I really would have been terribly upset if Roberts were let go, but it’s probably the right decision for him to stick around, even if Roberts had a horrific Game 5 last night. Seriously, it was the worst managerial performance of his career, even though he was pretty solid through six innings.

If he had hit the open market — with (currently) eight teams looking for a manager — he would have been one of the hottest names out there. Alas, he stays in LA and is signed for three more seasons.

With Roberts coming back, you can assume most of the coaching staff will also come back. Rick Honeycutt‘s status is always up in the air, especially since he has been dealing with physical issues.

The 2020 season, however, could be Roberts’ last if the team disappoints to the level it did this season. I’m a big proponent of blaming the players for not performing, but if the Dodgers go out like this again in a year, in large part because of some poor decisions by Roberts, he’ll be looking for employment elsewhere.

Now, let’s focus on upgrading the roster.