The Los Angeles Dodgers are living proof that MLB teams (most of them, if not all) have the money to go on a signing spree every now and then.
If they can spend more than a billion dollars on players during the offseason, other squads can certainly spend a fraction of that.
They completed a phenomenal offseason on Wednesday with a key extension.
“BREAKING: Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN,” MLB insider Jeff Passan tweeted.
BREAKING: Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2024
Smith has blossomed into one of the best catchers in baseball.
He is a phenomenal offensive player, with a career OPS of .842 in parts of five seasons since 2019.
However, he is also a fantastic defensive player who knows how to excel in all facets of the art of catching.
Last year, Smith had 12 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) and 1.7 Framing Runs.
It’s definitely life-changing money for Smith, but the deal is shocking for two reasons.
One, he is worth well over the $14 million average annual value (AAV) of the extension, but perhaps he exchanged some yearly money in order to secure a longer deal.
That’s the other surprising part of the extension: the length.
The Dodgers basically signed him until his age-39 season, which is rare for a catcher.
Still, the annual price to pay won’t be much when inflation enters the equation.
All things considered, it’s a win-win situation: the Dodgers get one of the top catchers in the game for relatively cheap, and Smith gets long-term security.
The post Dodgers Sign Star Catcher To Big Extension appeared first on The Cold Wire.