The Los Angeles Dodgers’ biggest move of the offseason so far has been the signing Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract that includes a $52 million signing bonus, deferred salary and limited no-trade clause.
Snell is a two-time Cy Young Award winner who began his career after being drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays. He pitched for the organization from 2016-2020, establishing himself as one of the best starters during that time.
Snell’s career with the Rays included facing the Dodgers in the 2020 World Series.
Rays manager Kevin Cash infamously removed Snell after he gave up a one-out single to Austin Barnes in the sixth inning of Game 6. Mookie Betts greeted the pitching change with a game-tying RBI double and the Dodgers went on for a 3-1 clinching win.
Several Dodgers players cited the pitching change as a turning point in the World Series. The Rays were 11 outs away from forcing a potential Game 7, but lost their momentum and got eliminated.
Snell was traded to the San Diego Padres that offseason and eventually pitched for the San Francisco Giants as well, but has not returned to World Series since.
“I don’t know if it’s a motivating factor,” Snell answered when asked if Game 6 of the 2020 World Series motivates him. “It was a moment in my life that I’m very appreciative of. Everything happened for a reason.
“Now to be on the flip side, I’m beyond excited. I mean, this team is stacked top to bottom. With youth, too. Can’t wait to teach the young pitchers what has helped me along the way, and hopefully it can help them.
“I don’t look into that game as much as everyone else. It was just a moment in time that I learned from. I told Andrew if I wanted to stay out there longer, I should’ve done a better job before that game to make that decision easier on Kevin. So it’s ultimately up to me to be a better pitcher to earn that moment.”
Returning to — and ultimately winning — the World Series is Snell’s biggest priority at this point in his career, and he made that known while introducing himself to Dodgers fans.
Andrew Friedman praises Blake Snell
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who drafted Snell during his stint as general manager of the Rays, praised the left-hander for the growth he has shown since that fateful World Series game.
“I think it’s easy for guys to internalize that in different ways, and I think the level of maturity, accountability, staying focused on things he could control, I think speaks to that increased and continued maturation that guys often go through as they’re working through their career,” Friedman said.
“In conversations, we think his desire to be great is incredibly genuine and we think he’s got the weapons and things in place to do that. Usually with Major League free agents, you’re buying the backside of a guy’s career.
“We think there are really compelling things in place that could lead to this next five, six, seven, eight years being the best of his career.”
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