Dodgers Sign Superstar Pitcher in Blockbuster Free Agent Deal

Ricardo Sandoval | 7 Hours Ago

Sep 11, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey (14) and starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) talk before a bass-loaded pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images / John Hefti-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed one of the best available free agents and pitchers in the league in two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell. 

Snell and the Dodgers have agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract, pending physical. 

ESPN's Jeff Passan shared the news via Twitter/X.

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

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 27, 2024

Snell had spoiled the news himself with this post just a few minutes before Passan broke the news: 

Blake Snell just posted this on his Instagram.

The caption reads “LA👀”

Snell is a free agent met with the Dodgers last week. pic.twitter.com/0WUXYx1h8z

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) November 27, 2024

L.A. is making a statement this offseason. 

According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Snell's deal includes some deferred money.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani signed with Los Angeles and also took deferred money. The purpose of that was to sign as many superstars as possible down the road, and Ohtani's deferred money has snowballed into signing one of the best pitchers in the league. 

At 32 years old, Snell has established himself as one of the best pitchers in the past decade. He is a one-time All-Star in 2018, was named to the All-MLB First team in 2023, was the American League wins leader in 2018, was a two-time ERA leader, and pitched a no-hitter this past season, the first of his career. 

This past season, he was stellar. Despite a slow start, Snell recorded a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 20 starts and 104 innings for the rival San Francisco Giants. 

He missed time with a pair of groin strains in the first half. Snell returned from the second injury on July 9 and then pitched to a 1.23 ERA in his final 12 starts.

There are times when Snell can be prone to walk batters and gets into a lot of deep counts; however, he is one of the top strikeout pitchers in the sport, and when he's on, Snell is as good as anyone in the game.

Snell will not only join the defending champions, but he will join a rotation that features the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, and Ohtani, to name a few. 

The Dodgers are not done yet. They are potentially in the process of bringing back Clayton Kershaw and potentially even Walker Buehler, and have a chance to add one of the greatest hitters of this generation in Juan Soto. 

Last winter was one for the books, and this one has the potential to surpass that. 

The Dodgers are looking to own the rest of the decade, and so far, they are off to a great start.