Sports
Dodgers are on track to make playoffs again. So why hasn't Dave Roberts been given a new contract?
Everyone knows how this will play out — the way it plays out every year.
As the postseason approaches, the whispers will increase in volume. Eventually, they will become the story and all anyone will talk about is how Dave Roberts will be fired if the Dodgers don’t win the World Series.
The intensity of this speculation varies from season to season, depending on how much time Roberts has left on his contract.
In this case, Roberts has one year after this season. The conversations about his future will be louder than usual.
Which is a load of nonsense.
The Dodgers know what they have in Roberts, who now has a nine-season track record of nearly unprecedented success. Even if they falter in October again and upper management wants to deflect blame, there would be no upside in attempting to make him a scapegoat. Just like in the last couple of postseasons, the Dodgers’ likeliest playoff pitfalls will be the obvious holes on the roster, which the majority of fans are smart enough to recognize.
So why haven’t the Dodgers approached Roberts about a new contract? Why would they allow Roberts to be subjected to the kind of scrutiny that weakens him in the eyes of his players? Why would they give oxygen to theories that could only be a distraction for the team?
Just extend his deal already.
Asked if the Dodgers have considered doing that, Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, replied in a text message, “Doc is a big part of what we have accomplished in the past and we look forward to him being a big part of what we will accomplish in the future. Right now, all of our focus and attention are on doing everything we can to win a Championship this season.”
Again, why haven’t the Dodgers approached Roberts about a new contract?
Apart from four Negro League managers, no manager in baseball history has as high of a winning percentage as Roberts, and none of the four won as many games as Roberts.
Roberts is on track to lead the Dodgers to the postseason for the ninth time in nine years, and if that sounds boring, well, maybe it’s time to appreciate boring.
Consider the team’s current situation.
Tyler Glasnow, who is already nearing his career high in innings pitched, was blown up in a recent start. Yoshinobu Yamamoto hasn’t thrown a baseball since he was sidelined because of a shoulder injury. Walker Buehler isn’t even with the team, as he aborted his initial attempt to return from an elbow reconstruction and is working with private coaches in Florida.
Any other World Series contender would have been concerned, if not downright panicking.
The Dodgers? They’re behaving as if nothing’s wrong, even after they were beaten twice in a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This unmistakable calmness around Dodger Stadium shouldn’t be taken for granted — nor should Roberts, who is responsible for shaping this environment.
The Dodgers have made 11 consecutive postseason appearances, but their history didn’t guarantee them being on track to return to the October stage. Look at what’s happening to the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers.
A billion-dollar winter didn’t guarantee the Dodgers any victories, either. Look at what happened to the New York Mets and San Diego Padres after their spending sprees in recent years.
The peaceful atmosphere around the Dodgers obscures a number of events that could have distracted, or even derailed, them. Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Shohei Ohtani to cover his gambling debts. Gavin Lux played his way out of being the starting shortstop, resulting in Mookie Betts taking over the position. Last month, Betts went down because of a broken hand.
Roberts kept the Dodgers in balance. He did so with his deft management of an old bullpen, by talking confidence into the likes of journeyman reliever Yohan Ramírez, by trusting an unproven starter such as Gavin Stone and by ensuring Miguel Rojas remained engaged enough to be able to step in to play shortstop when Betts became unavailable.
Before one recent game, Roberts accompanied Clayton Kershaw to the outfield, where he watched the sidelined veteran throw on flat ground. On his way back to the bench, Roberts checked in with utilityman Chris Taylor, who was batting .095 in the team’s first 64 games but over .260 since.
Roberts claimed to not be concerned about a new contract, or how the absence of one could shape the public’s perception of him.
“The right answer, or the honest answer, is that I’m focused on this year and winning a championship for the city of Los Angeles and the Dodgers,” Roberts said. “Obviously, my hope is that I could be here. I don’t want to manage anywhere else, so I hope things work out.”
Roberts shouldn’t have to hope. The matter should be resolved as soon as possible.
The last time Roberts was in this position was in 2021, the year after the Dodgers won the World Series. They were eliminated in the National League Championship Series that year after Max Scherzer couldn’t take the mound because the front office implemented an unnecessary plan for him to close out the previous round. Roberts’ competence was called into question as the Dodgers lost control of the series and speculation mounted over his future. The Dodgers ultimately extended his contract before his lame-duck season the next year, but not until late in spring training.
Unless the Dodgers think Roberts isn’t the best option to lead them into the future — and every indication is that he is — there’s no reason for them to let him be scrutinized that way again. It’s disrespectful to Roberts, and it’s counterproductive to winning another championship.
The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
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And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)
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ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.
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They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”
This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
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Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.
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So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
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