Blake Snell signs with Dodgers for five years, $182 million

On November 27, 2024By Littum

The Dodgers are now the defending champions, and the work on the title defense has already begun after some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

While offseason work has already started here in True Blue LA, my mind flashed back to the last time the Dodgers were in this position in the offseason after the 2020 COVID Cup.

My mind kept going back to a quote I read from Andy McCullough’s biography of Clayton Kershaw: The Last of His Art: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness.

By discussing the thought process Kershaw went through in the years after winning 2020 World Series it led him back to the Dodgers after considering joining his hometown Texas Rangers and retirement, the mindset of the Dodgers’ front office to start the 2021 season was discussed and could best be described in three words.

“Let’s be pigs.”

On page 325 of McCullough’s book, the above quote is attributed to Andrew Friedman, as the organization’s thought process was not to rest on its laurels with just a single title.

Snellzilla is coming south

Leaving aside what the Dodgers did in 2021, the question of whether the Dodgers would be great again this current offseason. That question was answered in a serious way late Tuesday night.

In the evening of November 26 Blake Snell posted a photo of himself in a Dodger jersey. Soon after, the other shoe dropped.

Left-hander Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms on a five-year, $182 million contract pending a physical, sources and @jorgecastillo. The World Series champions are getting the two-time Cy Young winner in their first nine-figure deal of the winter.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) 27 November 2024

Pending a physical, the defending champs bolstered their rotation with arguably the best starter on the market in Snell at five years, $182 million.

Represented by Scott Boras, Snell infamously started 2024 late after signing late San Francisco Giants hoping to land a massive free agent deal that just didn’t materialize. Snell signed a 2-year, $64 million deal with an opt-out clause with San Francisco.

After a rocky start as the season progressed, the question of if Snell wanting to opt out of his deal with the Giants turned into a question of when would Snell opt out of his deal with the Giants.

Over his final 14 starts of the year, Snell was nearly unhittable. He had a 1.23 earned run average while holding opponents to a .123/.211/.171 batting line. His FIP during this stretch was a spectacular 1.77.

Assuming he passes his physical, Snell figures to earn a spot in the burgeoning Hydra that is now the Dodgers’ rotation of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Not to mention Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Landon Knack and the likely return Clayton Kershaw.

Snell’s deal includes about $60 million in deferred money and a clause that would have the Dodgers pay Snell an additional $5 million if he is traded.

As it stands, the new contract will cover Snell’s age between 32 and 36 seasons. Snell’s contract has a $52 million signing bonus and no opt-out clauses.

When this signing becomes official, the Dodgers will have 37 players on the 40-man rosterincluding 23 pitchers and 14 position players.