Sources: Dodgers, free agent Snell reach 5-year, $182M deal

Sources: Dodgers, free agent Snell reach 5-year, $182M deal

Sources: Dodgers, free agent Snell reach 5-year, $182M deal

Blake Snell Signs Five-Year, $182 Million Deal with Los Angeles Dodgers


Blake Snell, the free-agent left-hander and two-time Cy Young Award winner, has agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pending a physical, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday. The deal includes no opt-outs, some deferred payments, and a $52 million signing bonus.


For the Dodgers, Snell adds a top-tier starter to their rotation as they defend their World Series title in 2025. After relying heavily on their bullpen with just three healthy starters in October, Snell provides much-needed depth and stability for the upcoming season.


The $182 million contract is the third-largest ever for a left-handed pitcher, trailing only David Price’s 2015 deal with the Boston Red Sox ($217 million) and Clayton Kershaw's 2014 extension with the Dodgers ($215 million).


The Dodgers continue to make waves in the free-agent market, having handed out five contracts worth at least $100 million since the start of the 2023-24 offseason, matching the total of the rest of MLB combined.


Snell, who opted out of the final year of his two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants on November 1, joins the Dodgers after a rollercoaster 2024 season. After struggling early in the season with a 9.51 ERA, Snell rebounded to finish with a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 104 innings, including a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in August. His late-season resurgence made his decision to opt out a clear one.


The Dodgers’ rotation looks formidable for 2025, with Snell joining Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and possibly Clayton Kershaw, alongside returning pitchers Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Bobby Miller. The team is also in the hunt for Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki, who is expected to be posted this winter.


Over his nine-season MLB career, Snell has posted a 76-58 record with a 3.19 ERA. He remains one of the league’s premier strikeout pitchers, with elite numbers in recent years. His $36.4 million average salary for the new deal will rank as the fifth-highest among active MLB contracts, behind Shohei Ohtani, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Judge, and Jacob deGrom.


With this major acquisition, the Dodgers are currently favored at +400 to win the 2025 World Series, according to ESPN BET. It would be the first repeat World Series champion since the Yankees' three-peat from 1998 to 2000.