Blake Snell's second attempt at free agency went much better than his first. The left-hander has agreed to a five-year contract worth $182 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team announced Saturday. Snell's deal includes a $52 million signing bonus and some deferred money, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Last offseason, Snell settled for a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants despite winning his second Cy Young award in 2023. He pitched well for San Francisco overall, and was especially good in the second half. Snell then used an opt out to re-enter free agency, and was able to land the multi-year deal he failed to secure last winter.
Our R.J. Anderson ranked Snell the fourth-best free agent available this offseason, and the second-best free agent starter behind Corbin Burnes. Here's his write-up:
Snell recovered from a truncated spring training and a pair of early trips to the injured list to accumulate the fourth-best ERA+ of his career. That doesn't sound impressive at first blush, but consider the circumstances and remember he's a two-time Cy Young Award winner. Snell still has the same basic profile that he did this time last year, when he was embarking on his first foray into free agency: he has elite bat-missing ability, yet some teams will scoff at his inefficiency. Fair enough, we suppose. Snell continues to produce year in and year out all the same.
Snell, 32, finished 2024 with a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 20 starts and 104 innings for the Giants. He missed time with a pair of groin strains in the first half. Snell returned from the second injury on July 9 and then pitched to a 1.23 ERA in his final 12 starts. That includes an 11-strikeout no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2.
There are times Snell can be a chore to watch because he walks so many batters and goes to a lot of deep counts, though he is one of the top strikeout pitchers in the sport, and when he's on, Snell is as good as anyone in the game. In 30 second-half starts across the last two seasons, Snell authored a 1.30 ERA while holding opponents to a .456 OPS.
With the world-champion Dodgers, Snell joins a potentially deep rotation but also one shot through with uncertainties. National League MVP Shohei Ohtani will resume his pitching duties in 2025, but he's coming off elbow and shoulder procedures. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was limited to just 18 starts in his first MLB season because of a rotator cuff strain and triceps issue. Tyler Glasnow, Snell's former teammate with the Rays, is no stranger to injury woes. The righty didn't pitch after Aug. 11 because of tendinitis in his throwing elbow. Elsewhere, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May in 2025 will be returning from their own Tommy John procedures.
This past season, manager Dave Roberts was forced to navigate the postseason with just three healthy starting pitchers, which he of course did with aplomb. As they angle to repeat in 2025, the Dodgers once again are piling up rotation depth. Recent history suggests they'll need all of that depth.
When healthy, a Dodger rotation that now includes Snell features ace-like potential at almost every slot. L.A.'s lineup has long been famous for having an abundance of star power, and now with Snell in the fold and Ohtani set to pitch for the first time as a Dodger you can say the same about the rotation.
Looking forward, the Dodgers have been heavily linked to two of the top free agents on the market -- outfielder Juan Soto and right-hander Roki Sasaki, who's set to be posted and make the leap from Japan. As well, two Dodger lifers, future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw and veteran right-hander Walker Buehler, remain on the free-agent market. It's unclear what the nine-figure investment in Snell means for any of those possibilities.
