Dodgers sign former Padres pitcher

Blake Snell returns to Southern California but this time he will be a Dodger instead of playing for the San Diego Padres.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner will debut as a Dodger on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium three days after agreeing to terms on a five-year, $182 million contract.

ESPN had reported last Tuesday that Snell and the Dodgers had agreed on a contract, pending a physical, which includes opt-outs, some deferred money and a $52 million signing bonus.

Snell, who will turn 32 on Wednesday, last Tuesday posted a photoshopped picture on his Instagram account wearing a Dodger uniform with the caption reading "LA" with an eyeballs emoji.

The contract is the third largest for a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball history based on total value, behind only David Price's $217 million deal with the Boston Red Sox in 2015 and Clayton Kershaw's $215 million contract with the Dodgers in 2014, according to ESPN.

Snell won the National League Cy Young Award in 2023 when he was 14-9 with a league-best 2.23 ERA while pitching for the Padres. Snell was a free agent following the season, with the Dodgers seeking to sign him late in the process, according to the Los Angeles Times.

However, he signed late in spring training with the San Francisco Giants, receiving a two-year, $62 million deal that included an opt-out this winter which Snell exercised.

Snell got off to a slow start with a 9.51 ERA and 0-3 record at the end of June after spending separate stints on the injured list due to a left adductor strain and a left groin strain. However, he was 5-0 with an 1.23 ERA over his final 14 starts including his first career no-hitter.

Snell was the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2018 when he pitched with the Tampa Bay Rays, leading the league with a 1.89 ERA and 21 victories.

The agreement with Snell follows the acquisitions of pitching stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow entering the 2024 season. Ohtani did not pitch in 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery in 2023 and Yamamoto and Glasnow both spent time on the injured list.

The lack of healthy starting pitching prompted the Dodgers to have four bullpen games during the postseason, winning two, en route to their World Series championship.

The Dodgers haven't signed Latino players to the main roster recently, but they did sign Giovanny Gallegos to a minor league contract. 

Additional reporting by City News Service.