Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a long-term deal with another key player. The Dodgers have signed All-Star catcher Will Smith to a massive 10-year, $140 million contract.
“The Dodgers and Smith have agreed to a 10-year, $140 million contract,” MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, and ESPN reported on Aug. 28 (KST).
An official announcement from the Dodgers organization has yet to be made. Smith was set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, but decided to sign a long-term deal with the Dodgers early. Some of the $140 million includes deferred payments.
Smith was drafted by the Dodgers in the first round (32nd overall) of the 2016 draft and made his big league debut in 2019. He has been the starting catcher since the 2020 season.
He has played in 486 games over six seasons.
Smith has 91 career home runs, including 68 in three seasons from 2021-2023. Last year, he was named to his first All-Star team after batting .797 with 19 home runs, 76 RBIs and an OPS of .797 in 126 games.
This season, 카지노사이트 추천 he went 5-for-10 with two home runs and a 1.145 OPS in the opening two games of the series against San Diego at the Gocheok Dome in South Korea.
According to MLB.com, “With the deal, Smith becomes the fourth Dodgers player to be signed through at least 2032, following Mookie Betts’ 12-year extension, Shohei Ohtani’s historic 10-year deal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record-breaking 12-year deal that made him the highest-paid pitcher in major league history. The other key members of the Dodgers’ organization are Freddie Freeman and Tyler Glasnoda, who are under contract for the next four and five years, respectively.”
The Dodgers signed Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract and Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal in the offseason. They also acquired pitcher Glasnow in a trade with Tampa Bay, signing him to a five-year, $136.5 million extension.
This time, they signed their starting catcher to a 10-year deal. They have the core players to build a dynasty for the next decade.
According to MLB.com, the Dodgers and Smith had been in extension talks for the past few seasons, but were unable to reach an agreement. They talked about a long-term deal again this spring, and the talks recently intensified during the Dodgers’ recent trip to the Seoul Series. A few days after returning to Los Angeles, the two sides agreed to terms.
Smith signed for $8.55 million this season, the most for a catcher in the second year of salary arbitration. 안전놀이터 With his 10-year, $140 million contract, Smith is now the highest-paid catcher in baseball outside of J.T. Realmuto, Salvador Perez, and Wilson Contreras.