Unless you haven’t had access to the internet in the last few months, it’s evident that the 2024-25 offseason in Major League Baseball has been amazing for one team: the Los Angeles Dodgers. They won the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, signed Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, and Kirby Yates, and reinstated Teoscar Hernandez and Blake Trienen. By the way, they still have Mookie Betts, the sole member of the 50/50 club with Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman, who may have hit a more legendary World Series home run than Kirk Gibson.
What has any of this got to do with the Philadelphia Phillies? Let’s start with Dave Roberts, the manager who leads the Avengers of baseball.
He has managed the Padres and Dodgers for nearly a decade, and in 2017, he became the first manager of Asian origin to lead his team to the World Series. And we’ve witnessed his success since. Some may forget that he stole a base as a player for the Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series, which helped them extend their run and eventually win the World Series.
Phillies sign Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ son to minor league deal
Let’s get back on track. Dave Roberts’ son, Cole, is making his way through the minor leagues. At 24, he’s a versatile player who can handle second base, shortstop, and some outfield on the left side. He played college baseball at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles before being selected by the San Diego Padres—the team where his father had his first managerial role—in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft.
According to Steve Potter of Phillies Baseball Fan, the Phillies have signed Cole Roberts to a minor league contract. Up to this point, he had spent his professional career in the minor leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks. After being released last summer, he played in the Frontier League and now aims to earn a spot in the Phillies’ farm system during spring training in Clearwater.
Roberts initially impressed with the Diamondbacks’ organization in 2023, hitting an incredible .400 with a 1.034 OPS over 19 games in Rookie ball. However, in 2024, he struggled at the plate, batting just .196 with a .554 OPS across 40 games in Single- and High-A. After his release, he played 14 games with the Washington WildThings in the Frontier League, posting a .222 average and a .539 OPS.
This opportunity could be an exciting one for both Roberts and Phillies fans. As spring training approaches, plenty of storylines will unfold—prospects trying to break through, established stars preparing for the season, and now, a new question to follow: Can Dave Roberts’ son make an impact on the opposite coast from where his father manages the powerhouse Dodgers?
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