Free agent left-hand pitcher Blake Snell has agreed to a deal with the reigning World Series champions, Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to ESPN’s MLB insider Jeff Passan, Snell inked a five-year, $182 million deal with his new team. The deal doesn’t contain any opt-outs and comes with a $52 million signing bonus.
Snell was a free agent last winter as well but experienced a slow market despite winning his second Cy Young award. He ended up settling for a two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants and delivered a 5-3 record with a 3.12 ERA, 145 strikeouts, and one no-hitter in the 2024 campaign.
Snell used an opt-out in his deal after a strong season and, this time, became the first big free agent to get a contract. The $182 million the Dodgers gave him is the third-most total money for a lefty in MLB history, while his average annual salary of $36.4 million makes him the fifth-highest-paid player in the league at the moment.
With Snell on board, the Dodgers will have one of the best rotations in baseball. They also have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, with two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani expected to return to the mound in 2025. The franchise legend Clayton Kershaw should also be in the fold by the start of the new season.
Blake Snell made his majors debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2016. He spent the first five years of his career with the Rays and then three more with the San Diego Padres before landing with the Giants. Snell has a 76–58 career record with a 3.19 ERA and 1,368 strikeouts.
