Two-time Cy Young award winning pitcher Blake Snell made his debut in Dodger blue Tuesday afternoon during a news conference at Dodger Stadium.
The left-hander appeared with his agent Scott Boras at Dodger Stadium after he agree last week to a five-year, $182 million contract with the world champions. While that money is still pending on a positive physical, the contract is expected to include opt-outs, deferred money and a $52 million signing bonus.
“It was really easy just cause me and Haeley wanted to live here, it’s something we’ve been talking about for a while,” Snell said, referring to his girlfriend. “Then you look at the team. You look at what they’ve built, what they’re doing. It’s just something you want to be a part of.”
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The deal is the third largest for a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball history based on total value.
Snell, who will turn 32 on Wednesday, posted a photoshopped picture on his Instagram account of himself wearing a Dodger uniform. On Tuesday, he donned the real thing.
“It just played out the way that people around me felt comfortable with, I felt comfortable with, they felt comfortable with,” Snell said. “We talked and found something that could work for both of us. You want your worth, you want your respect, and you want enough time to where you can really make a name for yourself. I've made a name for myself outside of LA, but I'm going to be invested.”
Snell began his career with the Tampa Bay Rays where he played from 2016 until 2020. He moved to Southern California for the 2021 season where he joined the Padres pitching rotation until 2023. Snell then signed a two-year $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, which he chose to opt out of during the off season.
Snell won his first Cy Young – an award given to the best pitcher in each league – in 2018, and his second in 2023.
He threw his first no-hitter last summer with the Giants.
Snell will now throw alongside Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow entering the 2024 season.
