The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres kicked off the 2024 MLB season with a two-game set in Seoul, South Korea. After that, they took a break and came back to the United States. Now, the Dodgers have agreed to a massive 10-year contract extension with catcher Will Smith. The deal is worth $140 million, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
‘BREAKING: Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN.'
This is a huge deal for the Dodgers, who already had a stellar offseason by signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani as well as acquiring Tyler Glasnow as they push for a World Series title. The deal for Smith also includes “some deferred money“, per Mark Feinsand.
Smith is coming off a massive season in 2023. He hit .261 with 19 home runs and 76 RBIs and was named to the National League All-Star team for the first time in his career. He now gets rewarded with a massive payday and will be a staple in the Dodgers lineup and behind the plate for years to come. Another big factor for the Dodgers is Smith's durability as he has played 125 games or more in each of the past three years.
Smith was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft and he has worked his way up quickly. His new deal also makes him the 4th-highest paid catcher by average in the MLB, behind J.T. Realmuto, Salvador Perez, and Willson Contreras.
The Dodgers continue to shell out an unreal amount of money
The Dodgers have spent an enormous amount of money this offseason, including eye-popping deals for both Ohtani and Yamamoto. After inking Smith to an extension, the Dodgers have now spent $1.3 billion this offseason on contracts and extensions, per Bob Nightengale.
‘The Dodgers’ checkbook is back open: They are signing catcher Will Smith to a 10-year, $140 million contract extension. This raises their total commitments to $1.3 billion in free-agent contracts and extensions this off-season.'
This new deal for Smith will keep him in LA until he is 38 years old, meaning he will likely spend his entire career with the same franchise unless a trade takes place. Smith would've been in line to hit free agency following the 2025 MLB season, so the Dodgers did the right thing by locking him in for the foreseeable future.
The Padres and Dodgers split the two-set in South Korea and return to action on Thursday as the rest of the MLB gets underway. The Dodgers host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first homestand of the year.
After a long process regarding an extension with Will Smith, the Dodgers have now locked in their catcher for the next decade.
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