The Los Angeles Dodgers smashed through the postseason dominantly as they triumphed to a World Series title in 2024. If Los Angeles was able to bring back the exact same roster in 2025, they would be the heavy favorites to win the World Series again. But that’s just not the Dodgers’ way of business.
Los Angeles is already returning one Cy Young candidate in Shohei Ohtani after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023. Now, the Dodgers have added a starting pitcher that’s even better than Ohtani. A true nightmare scenario is unfolding for the other 29 Major League Baseball teams.
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The Dodgers have reportedly agreed to terms on a five-year, $182 million contract with San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Jorge Castillo were among the first on the report. The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya has also reported that this deal will include some deferred money, which is starting to become a trend for the Dodgers.
Snell entered free agency last season looking for a big contract, but after a few months without the offer he wanted, he accepted a deal with the Giants that allowed him to opt-out after 2024.
After dominating the second half of the season, pitching to a 1.23 ERA over his last 14 starts, he decided to opt out of his 2025 player option.
Instead of waiting until the very end of the offseason to sign, Snell becomes the first big-name player to come off the board. He’s the first player of the offseason to sign for more than three years and for more than $100 million.
This deal puts the 2023 National League Cy Young winner in a pitching rotation with Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Ohtani. The Dodgers will still have time to continue to improve their roster as well.
This is exactly the kind of move that the entire league didn’t want to see happen.
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