The Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly reached a five-year, $182 million deal with two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, according to sources like The Athletic and the Associated Press. The contract includes a $52 million signing bonus and an estimated $60 million in deferred salary. This agreement comes after the Dodgers secured the World Series title in October, despite having only three healthy starting pitchers as they entered the offseason.
With key additions like Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow sidelined by injuries in 2023, and 2024 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani rehabbing from Tommy John surgery without throwing a single pitch, the Dodgers’ pitching staff faced significant challenges. Snell’s arrival is seen as a major reinforcement for a rotation that had to rely heavily on its bullpen throughout 2024.
The 31-year-old Snell, who teased the deal by posting a photoshopped image of himself in a Dodgers jersey on Instagram, has compiled a 76-58 record and a 3.19 ERA across nine MLB seasons and 211 starts. He also holds the distinction of having the highest strikeout rate in Major League history, averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Snell’s impressive resume includes winning the Cy Young Award in both the American League (2018, Tampa Bay Rays) and National League (2023, San Diego Padres). After his stellar performance in San Diego, the Dodgers reportedly made a push for Snell, although the Seattle native initially signed with the San Francisco Giants in March 2024.
Despite a slow start to the season due to missing much of spring training, Snell rebounded in a big way, finishing with a 5-0 record and an ERA of 1.23 over his final 14 starts, including a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in early August.
This deal, which is pending a physical, marks another significant financial commitment by the Dodgers, who spent a whopping $1.2 billion last offseason on high-profile players like Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Teoscar Hernández.
Since the beginning of the 2023-24 offseason, the Dodgers have handed out five contracts worth $100 million or more—matching the total combined by the rest of MLB teams. With these bold moves, Los Angeles is widely considered the favorite to win the 2025 World Series. However, no team has won back-to-back Commissioner’s Trophies since the New York Yankees achieved the feat from 1998 to 2000.