By agreeing to a five-year, $182 million contract with two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, the Los Angeles Dodgers have solidified their offseason domination. According to several sources, this massive agreement, which is still pending a physical, includes a $52 million signing bonus, some deferred money, and no opt-out clauses.
In addition to carefully addressing a pressing need, it’s the kind of move that keeps the Dodgers as the defending World Series favorites. It’s difficult to say that this signing is anything other than an A++ move for the defending World Series winners, considering its structure, value, and impact.
Despite its size, Snell’s transaction makes sense. It is the third-largest contract for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, after Clayton Kershaw and David Price, with an average yearly value of $36.4 million. By limiting the period to five years, the Dodgers have successfully reduced long-term risk despite the cost, guaranteeing that they are paying for Snell’s peak rather than a protracted decline phase.
Snell’s dedication to stability with a championship-caliber club and organizational acumen are demonstrated by the inclusion of deferred money and the lack of opt-outs. Snell and the Dodgers’ mutual faith is further reinforced by a limited no-trade clause.
When it counts, Snell is known for being one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers, and he brings that reputation to Los Angeles. He had a 1.23 ERA, a.123 opponent batting average, and 114 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings during his final 14 starts of 2024 with the San Francisco Giants. His ability to step up his game when it matters most is demonstrated by his similar late-season success in 2023 and 2022.
After relying largely on their bullpen during their October run in 2024, the Dodgers needed this steadiness. Their rotations were delayed in successive postseasons by injuries to their starters, but now that Snell is leading a staff that also includes Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles has established a rotation that is designed to dominate the regular season and the postseason.