Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers got ahead of the market by signing Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million contract to add him to a starting rotation that already was projecting to be plenty talented in 2025 and beyond.
Snell is revered as one of baseball’s best swing-and-miss starters, and a big reason why the Dodgers made a long-term commitment to the 32-year-old. Also, his desire to join the defending World Series champions takes a load off their lineup.
During an interview on MLB Network Radio, Tommy Edman expressed relief to now be Dodgers teammates with Snell due to struggling against him throughout his career:
“Our signings look like they’ve been great so far. I always hated facing Snell, so I’m glad I don’t have to face him anymore. At one point this past year, I was looking at my stats against pitchers, trying to see which pitcher I have the most at-bats against with zero hits, and it was Snell.
“I think I’m like 0-for-12 off him or something like that, so I’m glad I don’t have to face him anymore. He’s nasty. He’s a good pitcher.”
Edman is 0-for-10 with three strikeouts in his career against Snell. Also of reference, Max Muncy is 2-for-24 with eight strikeouts in an understandably difficult left-on-left matchup.
From July 9 through the end of the regular season, Snell held a 1.23 ERA, 1.77 FIP with a 12.77 strikeouts per nine over 80.1 innings (14 starts). There is a ton to love about his arsenal, mainly for how his style projects in the playoffs, where strikeouts become a key fixture.
Blake Snell solidifies top of Dodgers rotation
Alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and at some point Shohei Ohtani, Snell stands to be another proverbial ace for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
There is also the possibility of the Dodgers signing Roki Sasaki, who must make his decision by Jan. 23. The Dodgers and San Diego Padres are considered the favorites for the Japanese phenom.
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