The Los Angeles Dodgers signed catcher Will Smith to a 10-year, $140 million contract extension in spring training. Smith, one of MLB's best catchers, is set to potentially finish his career in Los Angeles. The Dodgers star recently addressed the extension during an appearance on Foul Territory.
“It's exciting. You know, it's something I think a lot of players hope for,” Smith said. “I'm fortunate enough to be given that opportunity by the Dodgers. Yeah, I always wanted to stay a Dodger, I love being there. I don't think there's anyone more committed to winning and winning World Series than the Los Angeles Dodgers. I'm just excited for the opportunity to be apart of that.”
Catchers don't always receive long-term deals. The position comes with injury risk. Los Angeles clearly believes in Smith, however.
Will Smith is arguably best catcher in MLB
The 29-year-old is a consistent threat at the plate. He's a steady presence, not necessarily excelling in any one category but doing enough damage in multiple facets of the game.
For example, his career slash line is quite telling. Smith currently owns a .264/.358/.484/.842 slash line for his career. He's going to record a decent batting average while getting on base at a quality rate. Smith also offers respectable power for any position in the game, and excellent power as far as catcher's standards are concerned.
Yet, Smith was not selected to his first All-Star team until 2023. He often gets overlooked since the Dodgers feature no shortage of star-power. And that is something that may occur once again in 2024 given the big three of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman.
So is Smith the best catcher in the sport?
It's difficult to look past what Adley Rutschman has done for the Baltimore Orioles. JT Realmuto, Sean Murphy, Willson Contreras, and William Contreras are also in the conversation.
But it is difficult to find a backstop who is more consistent than Smith. He's a lock to produce 15-25 home runs from a position that lacks home run hitting prowess overall. Smith has also improved in reference to handling a pitching staff.
Is Smith the Dodgers' catcher of the future?
The Dodgers' catching situation is interesting. Smith is obviously going to stick around for the long-term future as a result of the contract, but will he remain at the catcher position?
Two of the Dodgers' current top 10 prospects, Dalton Rushing and Diego Cartaya, are catchers. Los Angeles would obviously like to give them big league opportunities within the next couple of years, but there may not be room on the roster.
The easy fix would be to move Smith or one of the prospects to first base or designated hitter. But the Dodgers happen to have two of the best players at each of those positions, Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, on the roster.
So unless LA wants to move Rushing or Cartaya to third base or the outfield, the Dodgers may need to consider trading the prospects. Of course, there is nothing wrong with prospect depth. But young players need everyday at-bats and Will Smith is going to be receiving those.
To answer the question, Will Smith is going to be the Dodgers' catcher for at least the next few seasons. Ohtani is also signed to a 10-year deal, but Freeman will enter free agency in 2028. Unless LA re-signs Freeman, the Dodgers could consider moving Smith to first base then.
But that's a conversation that does not need to occur for a few years. Right now, Will Smith is focused on handling the catching duties for a ball club with World Series aspirations.
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