The Yankees held a Zoom meeting with superstar left-handed pitcher Blake Snell on Tuesday night in an attempt to sign him, putting them in serious contention for his services. But in the end, Snell agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which had no opt-out clauses and several incentives for him to move west.
Snell picked the better team and, perhaps, the better circumstances, even if the Yankees are obviously prioritizing improvements to their pitching staff. It’s difficult to disagree with his choice given that the Dodgers are establishing what appears to be a dynasty.
Snell Chooses Dodgers Over Yankees
An already strong Dodgers rotation is enhanced by the 31-year-old lefty’s presence. Snell pitched 104 innings with a 3.12 ERA in 2024 while making 20 starts for the San Francisco Giants. He recorded a 70.9% left-on-base rate, a 42% ground ball rate, and an outstanding 12.55 strikeouts per nine innings. He demonstrated his worth as one of the top arms on the market with his performances, earning him 3.1 WAR.
Along with a $52 million signing bonus and deferred money that allows Los Angeles to continue adding players to their roster, Snell’s five-year contract with the Dodgers averages $36.4 million per season. Snell will stay in the league until his age-37 season thanks to this contract.
The Yankees’ interest in Snell demonstrated their desire to strengthen their rotation following a poor postseason performance, even though the $182 million price tag was hefty. Snell chose to join a team that recently won the World Series and is poised to dominate again in 2025, which is unfortunate for New York.