Less than a month after winning the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are spending big again to add one of baseball's best pitchers to their star-studded roster.
Blake Snell and the Dodgers agreed to a $182 million, five-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal is subject to a successful physical.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner broke the news personally by posting a photo of himself on social media in a Dodgers uniform — No. 7.
Snell would join two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and fellow Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop Los Angeles' rotation, giving the Dodgers the first mega deal of this offseason following Ohtani's $700 million, 10-year contract and Yamamoto's $325 million, 12-year deal last winter.
Ohtani didn't pitch this year while recovering from right elbow surgery but is expected back on the mound in 2025. He won his third MVP award — first in the National League — following a huge season at the plate exclusively as a designated hitter.
Yamamoto went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts as a rookie, then won twice in four October outings.
Down to three healthy starting pitchers during the postseason, Los Angeles overcame a string of injuries to its projected rotation in winning the franchise's second World Series title in five years.
Right-handers Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler then became free agents this fall, creating more voids on the staff. But the addition of Snell would fill a large one at the top with a legitimate ace.
Snell's $36.4 million average salary would rank as the fifth-highest among active deals next year behind Ohtani ($70 million), Philadelphia pitcher Zack Wheeler ($42 million), New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge ($40 million) and Texas pitcher Jacob deGrom ($37 million). Among expired contracts, it also was exceeded by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander (both $43.33 million) under deals they agreed to with the New York Mets.
ESPN first reported the details of Snell's contract.
Earlier this month, Snell opted out of his deal with San Francisco to become a free agent for the second consecutive offseason after he was slowed by injuries during his lone year with the Giants.
The left-hander agreed in March to a $62 million, two-year contract that included a $17 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, a $15 million salary for 2024 and a $30 million salary for 2025, of which $15 million would have been deferred and payable on July 1, 2027.
Snell, who turns 32 next week, went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts this year, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. He struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings.
He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin.
Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants.
Because he turned down a qualifying offer from San Diego last November, the Giants were not eligible to give Snell another one and won’t receive draft-pick compensation.
Los Angeles expects All-Star right-hander Tyler Glasnow and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw back in the rotation next year. Other starting candidates if healthy include right-handers Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Bobby Miller.
Ohtani is coming off right elbow surgery in September 2023 and left shoulder surgery on Nov. 5.
Glasnow didn’t pitch after Aug. 11 because of right elbow tendinitis.
Kershaw, who turns 37 in March, had foot and knee surgeries on Nov. 7. He declined a $10 million player option in favor of free agency, but is expected to return to Los Angeles.
May is coming back from Tommy John surgery in July 2023 and for an operation this past July to repair a tear in his esophagus.
Gonsolin spent 2024 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Miller, an 11-game winner as a rookie in 2023, was sidelined early this season by shoulder inflammation. He struggled to a 2-4 record with an 8.52 ERA in 13 big league starts and ended the regular season in the minors.
Yamamoto was sidelined by right triceps tightness between June 15 and Sept. 10, then returned and went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four postseason starts to cap the first season of his $325 million contract.
___
AP Baseball Writers Janie McCauley and Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Ronald Blum, The Associated Press
