Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell will sign a 5-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Jeff Passan.
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 will reportedly defer some money in the deal.
Dodgers’ deal with Blake Snell includes some deferred money, source tells The Athletic. https://t.co/ZO6X9C4b1k
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) November 27, 2024
Snell famously lingered on the free agent market through the beginning of spring training last offseason. However, many expected a healthier market for the free agent southpaw this winter after another great performance. Fortunately for him, the Snell finally secured a big-money, long-term deal this time around.
Dodgers Signs Blake Snell
Many might expect a reigning Cy Young winner to cash in big as a free agent. For Snell, his payday will come one year later after an excellent three-month stretch. With the San Fransico Giants last year, Snell produced a 3.12 ERA (124 ERA+) with 145 punchouts in 104 innings. Not only did his 34.7% strikeout rate rank amongst MLB’s best, but he also excelled at inducing weak contact.
Before tonight, Blake Snell had only recorded 5 outs after the 7th inning his entire career
Tonight, he has a 114 Pitch No Hitter @StoolBaseball
pic.twitter.com/BtuJbNu0pj— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 3, 2024
Though the veteran started the season slowly after signing late, he dominated after returning from a second injured list stint on July 9. In his final 14 starts, Snell tossed 80 1/3 innings with a 1.23 ERA, 114 strikeouts, and 30 walks. His 3.36 BB/9 ratio during this stretch was a vast improvement over the 4.95 BB/9 ratio he supported during his award-winning 2023.
In 2023, Snell won the second Cy Young award of his career after posting a 2.25 ERA (187 ERA+) with 234 strikeouts in 180 innings. Unfortunately, the veteran carried a reputation for being talented, yet inconsistent.
Prior to 2024, Snell had a career ERA+ of 128. That number dropped to 109- only 9 percent better than average- in his non-Cy Young seasons. Of course, any player’s overall numbers will decline if their best seasons are omitted. But this shows that teams didn’t want to pay Snell like an ace when he just as easily could produce like a number two or three starter.
The Dodgers will sign Snell clearly expecting his inconsistent nature to stay in the past. It’s not unheard of for players, especially left-handed starters, to unlock something after the age of 30. Late bloomers happen, and Snell appears to be one.
Main Photo Credits: Katie Stratman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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