Blake Snell’s second try at free company went significantly better than his first. The left-hander has agreed to a five-year contract price $182 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers, CBS Sports activities HQ has confirmed. Snell’s deal features a $52 million signing bonus and a few deferred cash, in line with the Los Angeles Instances. The staff has not but confirmed the signing (although Snell did publish a picture of himself in a Dodgers uniform on Instagram) and the contract is pending a bodily.
Final offseason, Snell settled for a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants regardless of successful his second Cy Younger award in 2023. He pitched properly for San Francisco general, and was particularly good within the second half. Snell then used an decide out to re-enter free company, and was in a position to land the multi-year deal he did not safe final winter.
Our R.J. Anderson ranked Snell the fourth-best free agent accessible this offseason, and the second-best free agent starter behind Corbin Burnes. Here is his write-up:
Snell recovered from a truncated spring coaching and a pair of early journeys to the injured listing to build up the fourth-best ERA+ of his profession. That does not sound spectacular at first blush, however contemplate the circumstances and keep in mind he is a two-time Cy Younger Award winner. Snell nonetheless has the identical primary profile that he did this time final yr, when he was embarking on his first foray into free company: he has elite bat-missing potential, but some groups will scoff at his inefficiency. Truthful sufficient, we suppose. Snell continues to provide yr in and yr out all the identical.
Snell, 32, completed 2024 with a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 20 begins and 104 innings for the Giants. He missed time with a pair of groin strains within the first half. Snell returned from the second harm on July 9 after which pitched to a 1.23 ERA in his last 12 begins. That features an 11-strikeout no-hitter towards the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2.
There are occasions Snell generally is a chore to observe as a result of he walks so many batters and goes to a number of deep counts, although he is among the high strikeout pitchers within the sport, and when he is on, Snell is nearly as good as anybody within the recreation. In 30 second-half begins throughout the final two seasons, Snell authored a 1.30 ERA whereas holding opponents to a .456 OPS.
With the world-champion Dodgers, Snell joins a doubtlessly deep rotation but additionally one shot by way of with uncertainties. Nationwide League MVP Shohei Ohtani will resume his pitching duties in 2025, however he is coming off elbow and shoulder procedures. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was restricted to simply 18 begins in his first MLB season due to a rotator cuff pressure and triceps concern. Tyler Glasnow, Snell’s former teammate with the Rays, is not any stranger to harm woes. The righty did not pitch after Aug. 11 due to tendinitis in his throwing elbow. Elsewhere, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin Could in 2025 shall be getting back from their very own Tommy John procedures.
This previous season, supervisor Dave Roberts was compelled to navigate the postseason with simply three wholesome beginning pitchers, which he after all did with aplomb. As they angle to repeat in 2025, the Dodgers as soon as once more are piling up rotation depth. Current historical past suggests they’re going to want all of that depth.
When wholesome, a Dodger rotation that now consists of Snell options ace-like potential at nearly each slot. L.A.’s lineup has lengthy been well-known for having an abundance of star energy, and now with Snell within the fold and Ohtani set to pitch for the primary time as a Dodger you may say the identical in regards to the rotation.
Wanting ahead, the Dodgers have been closely linked to 2 of the highest free brokers available on the market — outfielder Juan Soto and right-hander Roki Sasaki, who’s set to be posted and make the leap from Japan. As properly, two Dodger lifers, future Corridor of Famer Clayton Kershaw and veteran right-hander Walker Buehler, stay on the free-agent market. It is unclear what the nine-figure funding in Snell means for any of these prospects.
