Blake Snell has reportedly joined his former team’s biggest rival.
After opting out of his contract with the Giants this offseason and becoming an MLB free agent, Snell agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers pending a physical, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Jorge Castillo reported on Tuesday, citing sources.
Left-hander Blake Snell and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract, with a physical contract pending, sources told me. @jorgecastillo. The World Series champions will acquire a two-time Cy Young Award winner in their first nine-figure contract this winter.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 27, 2024
Snell appeared to confirm the news in a post on his Instagram account.
It’s no wonder Los Angeles was able to land a two-time Cy Young Award winner. The Dodgers shattered free agent expectations in recent offseasons, inflating salaries so they could sign stars like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and rolling over millions more into the future — the list goes on. To be continued.
Last month, Los Angeles defeated the New York Yankees in five games to win its eighth World Series, and it was worth it for San Francisco’s NL West rivals in 2024. And they appear to be taking the route of acquiring Snell for a transfer fee, similar to when they signed Ohtani last winter.
Dodgers’ Blake Snell’s contract includes some deferred money, sources tell The Athletic. https://t.co/ZO6X9C4b1k
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) November 27, 2024
Snell’s only season with the Giants got off to a rocky start as the ace endured an offseason without spring training while searching for a home in free agency. However, although he struggled in the first half of the 2024 MLB season, Snell quickly returned to Cy Young form and pitched a no-hitter for San Francisco against the Cincinnati Reds on August 2nd.
Because of his second-half performance, Snell opted out of the remaining year of his Giants contract and became the best pitcher available on the open market. This time, negotiations with MLB teams did not last very long.
Because the Dodgers pounced, as usual.
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