This day in Los Angeles Dodgers history saw the team make an aggressive move in free agency by signing Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract.
Reports of Snell’s signing came two days prior to Thanksgiving, and his deal was officially announced on Nov. 30, 2024.
Also on Nov. 30 in Dodgers history, the team signed Juan Uribe to a three-year contract in 2010.
Snell was part of a free agency class that included fellow top starters Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. Burnes wound up signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks while Fried joined the New York Yankees.
The Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles reportedly were interested in Snell before he agreed to sign with the Dodgers.
Snell joining L.A. reunited him with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who was general manager of the Tampa Bay Rays when the drafted the left-hander with the No. 52 overall pick in 2011.
“I’ve known Blake a long time. Just getting a chance to watch that maturation over a 12-year period and seeing that growth, we felt really strongly that not only could he help us in the regular season in accomplishing that first goal, but what he would bring to our staff in October,” Friedman say of the Dodgers prioritizing Snell in free agency.
“Everyone wants to pitch in October. I think for some it is literally a part of their identity and what they yearn for more than anything. And I think Blake is one of those guys. So in talking to him early in the offseason, or even over the years, that part was clear.
“I think just he loves those moments. And just betting on the pitcher, the head, how much he cares was something that he was the No. 1 target for us in the offseason.”
Snell’s first season with the Dodgers included missing three months because of a left-shoulder injury, but he ultimately played a key role in helping lead the team to a second consecutive World Series title.
Blake Snell’s contract details
Snell’s Dodgers contract included a $52 million signing bonus, deferred salary and a limited no-trade clause.
Thus, average annual value of Snell’s contract is $36.4 million, but the number that impacts the Dodgers’ competitive balance tax for payroll is closer to $32-$33 million.
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