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The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially signed All-Star catcher Will Smith to a 10-year, $140 million contract extension that will keep him in Los Angeles for the next decade.
Smith’s extension is the final move in a long offseason of big spending by the Dodgers.
The Dodgers’ first major move of the offseason came in the form of Shohei Ohtani when they signed the two-way star to a record-breaking 10-year, $700 million deal with historic deferrals.
They then quickly added on, trading for right-handed pitcher Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays, and giving him a five-year, $136.5 million extension.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Next on the list was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who the Dodgers signed to a 12-year, $325 million deal, the most ever for a starting pitcher.
And then, the Dodgers added All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández on a one-year, $23.5 million deal, also with deferrals.
All in all, the Dodgers have spent nearly $1.4 billion this offseason, a historic amount of spending for a team that’s focused on winning multiple World Series for the next decade.
After the latest major move, Major League baseball fans took to social media to react to the Dodgers continuing to spend.
The best catcher in baseball is here to stay.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith agree to a 10-year contract extension through the 2033 season. Congratulations, Will! pic.twitter.com/tMB5kCwqJp
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 27, 2024
Will Smith was drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft by the Dodgers.
He made his debut in 2019.
He had back-to-back 20+ home run seasons in 2021 and 2022.
He made his first All-Star team in 2023.
The Dodgers’ homegrown star isn’t going anywhere. pic.twitter.com/2lGvMg8QGU
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) March 27, 2024
Here are some of the best reactions from Dodger fans:
Most
Important position, and the best catcher in the NL still with upside being young. Worth a 10 year contract— KEEB (@LAKeebOG) March 27, 2024
If it’s $14 mil/season, it’s a steal. 4th highest paid C now. Have to believe in 2-3 years it’s borderline top 10 C money for a top 3 player
— Jason (@RabbitohCards) March 27, 2024
Will Smith is amazing. Excellent player and seems to be an equally excellent person. Great example of a Dodger great. Congrats to Will and his family on the extension
— kelly austin (sr) (@kellyaustin24) March 27, 2024
Man, so so so happy. I really thought that they would eventually trade him with the young guys coming
— Cássio Lyra (@CassioLyra_) March 27, 2024
This makes up for trading Piazza and giving up on Russell Martin.
— Brian Wolff (@wildwolfgt) March 27, 2024
So happy to see one of our home grown players locked in for long term after seeing guys like Joc, Belli, Seager, all going elsewhere.
— Stanley Fu (@fumanstan) March 27, 2024
As for the fans of the rest of the 29 MLB teams, they’re left wondering how the Dodgers keep spending more money:
where is all this money coming from I don’t get it
— BINK🎯 (@therealbink1) March 27, 2024
How do they still got money
— KristapsMuse (@KristapsMuse8) March 27, 2024
It also led one fan to ask for a salary cap in MLB:
The league without any true maximum on what a team with absolutely filthy rich owners can spend in one year is yet again signing another player to a 9 figure contract? I don’t blame the Dodgers for doing it, but maybe one day we actually oh idk, have a salary cap?
— Joe M (@jFudgy_) March 27, 2024
Smith has consistently improved since debuting for the Dodgers in 2019.
He had back-to-back 20-plus home runs seasons in 2021 and 2022 and made his first All-Star team in 2023.
He has a career .842 OPS with 91 home runs and 308 runs batted in.
He’s coming off a 2023 season in which he dealt with a plethora of injuries but still managed to slash .261/.359/.438 with 19 home runs and 76 runs batted in.
Thus far in 2024 — in the two games the Dodgers played against the San Diego Padres in Korea — Smith is off to a hot start, as he went 5-for-10 with one double and two runs batted in.
Smith told Dodgers Nation earlier in spring training that he hadn’t yet talked about an extension.
Clearly, things moved quickly, as the two sides were able to get things finalized just ahead of their domestic Opening Day.
Smith and the Dodgers welcome the St. Louis Cardinals into town on Thursday, March 29 to re-open their 2024 regular season.
Smith will be the proud owner of a new contract extension, while also celebrating his 29th birthday on Opening Day.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
