On trade deadline day 2004, as an outfielder on a surprise first-place Dodgers squad in the midst of a major midseason makeover, Roberts noted the time in his car as he drove to Petco Park during a series against the San Diego Padres.
It was 2:05 p.m.
The 2 p.m. deadline had officially passed.
“I was like, ‘Oh, we dodged it,’ ” recalled Roberts, who knew his name had been bandied about in trade rumors that week, but was desperate to stay in Los Angeles with that year’s close-knit, overachieving Dodgers team.
Only, before he arrived at the ballpark that day, Roberts’ phone rang.
He hadn’t escaped the deadline, after all.
And in one brief moment, the trajectory of his career had changed.
“I remember being so emotional,” he said, “because I didn’t want to go anywhere else.”
In hindsight, of course, it all worked out.
Roberts was traded to the Boston Red Sox. Months later, he collected one of the most memorable stolen bases in MLB history during the club’s historic playoff comeback against the New York Yankees. Almost two decades on, it remains one of his defining moments in the sport, right alongside all his managerial accomplishments with the Dodgers over the last eight years.
“It was a blessing in disguise,” Roberts said in a recent interview, reflecting on the 2004 season. “Having played in that market in Boston is something that is so special to me. I would never want to give that back.”
Yet, there was still a part of him that wished he’d never left L.A., either. That the last-second phone call from then-Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta, informing Roberts he’d been dealt to Boston, had never come.
“I thought we were going to add [at the deadline],” he said. “We thought we were close.”
Such memories come flooding back for Roberts this time of year — an experience he has leaned on through several similar deadline shake-ups since becoming the Dodgers manager in 2016.
“I’ve lived it,” he said. “So I think it helps me when I talk to players who have questions, or guys who get traded, or guys who come here … I know it from every angle.”
This year, Roberts is reflecting back through a particular lens.
Despite an underachieving pitching staff and seemingly top-heavy lineup, the 2023 Dodgers are doing something similar to the 2004 Dodgers — outperforming expectations, sitting in first place in the National League West and, in Roberts’ view, leaning on veteran leadership and clubhouse chemistry as one of their biggest strengths.
Roberts noted one key difference: “This [year] is just a way more talented team,” he said with a laugh.
The question of whether to make extensive changes to the roster, however, is the same.
(Elise Amendola / Associated Press)
In 2004, DePodesta, who was only a few months into his tenure as Dodgers GM, decided for a full-scale transformation.
On the eve of the deadline, All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca — who was “like our heart and soul,” Roberts said — was shipped out the door, going with reliever Guillermo Mota to the Florida Marlins in exchange for top starter Brad Penny and first baseman Hee-seop Choi.
Then, on deadline day, the Dodgers acquired All-Star center fielder Steve Finley from the Arizona Diamondbacks — a move that left Los Angeles with one too many players in the outfield.
So Roberts was dealt to Boston just before the buzzer for minor leaguer Henri Stanley.
And among DePodesta’s flurry of moves — which were praised as bold by some, foolishly overaggressive by others — Roberts’ departure was one of the most head-scratching, casting off the spark-plug outfielder for a 26-year-old prospect who would never reach the majors.
“It was really disappointing,” Roberts said. “It was just a group of guys who really enjoyed each other.”
This is where Roberts draws parallels to the 2023 team.
Between their mix of superstar leaders (Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw among them), respected veteran voices (including offseason acquisitions Jason Heyward, J.D. Martinez and Miguel Rojas) and rookie contributors, Roberts believes these Dodgers have developed uncommon camaraderie.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts laughs as he walks through the dugout prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 3.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Yes, they have clear holes in the rotation, bullpen and lineup — even after adding four players in a series of trades last week.
Yes, they’ve explored potential blockbuster deals for Justin Verlander and Nolan Arenado.
But, in their manager’s eyes, preserving the culture that has helped carry them thus far should be an equally important deadline objective.
“I think Andrew [Friedman, president of baseball operations] really appreciates what we have, the things you can’t necessarily quantify,” Roberts said. “There’s very few things in baseball you can count on. But if you’ve got something as stable as clubhouse chemistry, you can count on that. And that will show itself in every facet of the game.”
To illustrate his point, Roberts referenced DePodesta’s overhaul of the 2004 team, again.
While those Dodgers still won the division, they had a worse winning percentage after the deadline than before it. Though they snapped what had been a seven-year playoff drought for the club, they were eliminated just four games into the postseason, then slipped to fourth place the following season.
“We outperformed what people expected,” Roberts said. “Talking to Paul years after, he was like, ‘Man, I wish I would have really appreciated what you guys had as far as chemistry.’ ”
Even after his heroics in Boston, Roberts feels the same.
“Obviously it worked out for the best,” Roberts said of the Red Sox, who won their first World Series since 1918. “But I was in a place where, I was bought into the Dodgers, the community. And to get that ripped from under me, it was a big blow.”