Blake Snell, Dodgers Agree to Five-Year, $182 Million Contract: Reports
November 27, 2024
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In a major clue that Blake Snell will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the free agent starting pitcher posted a picture of himself in a Dodgers uniform on his Instagram account Tuesday night.
Minutes later, Jeff Passan and Jorge Castillo of ESPN reported Snell had agreed to terms with the Dodgers on a 5-year, $182 million contract. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports Snell’s contract includes deferred money over the life of the deal.
Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports Snell will receive a $52 million signing bonus as part of his contract, which matches Tyler Glasnow as the second-longest the Dodgers have ever given a pitcher in the Andrew Friedman era.
Blake Snell’s contract with the Dodgers includes a $52 million signing bonus and some deferred money, per source
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) November 27, 2024
Snell went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts with San Francisco in 2024, and tossed a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in August.
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The 31-year-old left-hander is a two-time Cy Young Award winner who became a free agent when he declined the 2025 option his contract with the San Francisco Giants.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: Blake Snell #7 and Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants talk at Oracle Park on September 28, 2024 in San Francisco, California. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 28: Blake Snell #7 and Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants talk at Oracle Park on September 28, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images
Snell won the American League Cy Young Award in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays, then won the NL Cy Young in 2023 with the San Diego Padres. Although he led the NL in walks that season, he offsets the occasional free pass by striking out 11.2 batters per nine innings over his career — best among active pitchers.
Groin and adductor injuries limited Snell to 104 innings in his only season in San Francisco. In his final 14 starts, Snell went 5-0 with 114 strikeouts in 80.1 innings.
In Los Angeles, Snell joins a stacked starting rotation that includes Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Shohei Ohtani, who is returning to pitching in 2025 after being limited to designated hitter duties (and winning the National League MVP award) in 2024.
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The Dodgers are also expected to re-sign veteran Clayton Kershaw after he opted out of the 2025 option year in his contract. The three-time Cy Young Award winner missed most of the 2024 season recovering from shoulder and foot injuries, but is expected back on the mound in 2025.
Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May are both under contract and returning from injuries to the Dodgers’ six-man rotation in 2025.
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The Dodgers had been linked to a number of starters in free agency. Right-hander Walker Buehler has spent his entire career in Los Angeles before becoming a free agent after the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series in October.
The 30-year-old has been linked to the New York Yankees and now might find more money — and a more comfortable berth in a starting rotation — outside Los Angeles. Buehler went 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in an injury-shortened regular season but delivered several big postseason performances, including a series-clinching save in Game 5 of the World Series.
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Roki Sasaki is widely expected to sign with the Dodgers after his formally posted by his Japanese team, the Chiba Lotte Marines. The 23-year-old right-hander will not cost the Dodgers more than the extent of their 2025 amateur spending pool — a little more than $5 million — and could remain a top target for the offseason as well.
He will not sign before Jan. 15, the start of the 2025 international amateur signing period.
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Free agent right-hander Jack Flaherty was also a key cog in the Dodgers’ championship. The Los Angeles native went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular season starts after arriving in a trade with the Detroit Tigers.
By signing Snell, the Dodgers signaled their intention to maintain the momentum stirred by winning the eighth championship in franchise history. The team has also been reportedly pursuing outfield help, meeting with free agent Juan Soto earlier this month while also keeping tabs on Teoscar Hernández, whose 33-homer season was a boon to the Dodgers’ lineup in 2024.
The Yankees, Red Sox and Orioles were all in on Blake Snell before he signed with the Dodgers, per source. Expect those three to remain active on the pitching market, with names like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Jack Flaherty among the top arms available.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 27, 2024
The Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles were also reportedly pursuing the Scott Boras client, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Snell’s contract is pending a physical. According to multiple reports Tuesday, his contract does not include any opt-outs and includes an assignment bonus if he is traded.
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