Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
Breaking news: the Los Angeles Dodgers signed left-handed starter Blake Snell to a five-year $182 million contract.
The first priority of the Dodgers was to strengthen their starting rotation. At 32, Snell has won two Cy Young Awards, one in 2018 while with the Tampa Bay Rays and one in 2023 with the San Diego Padres. While he didn’t have a good 2024 season with the San Francisco Giants, he pitched his first no-hitter.
Snell has 76 wins, 58 losses, a 3.19 ERA, and 1,368 strikeouts in his eight major league seasons. Snell has criticized for a lack of stamina and poor control. If he can’t retire the opposing hitter, he walks him rather than giving up a solo home run. The Dodgers are planning to have a six-man starting rotation to accommodate Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, so they aren’t worrying about Snell’s stamina. The Dodgers have had a great bullpen since President Andrew Friedman has been with the Dodgers.
Snell baffles the hitters with a good fastball, slider, curveball, and a changeup. He dominates left-handed hitters. Except for his rookie season in 2016 and the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season, he has made at least 24 starts a season. He is better after the All-Star break, and this is what the Dodgers need. If Snell continues to be durable for the next five years, the Dodgers will do a happy dance.
Before the Dodgers signed Snell, their starting rotation had only right-handed pitchers if Clayton Kershaw doesn’t return. This isn’t good when teams have left-handed power hitters like Juan Soto. Friedman rectified the situation.
