Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is staying in LA for the long haul. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the team and Smith are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million contract extension. Passan was the first to report it on X.
BREAKING: Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2024
The new contract will include some deferred money, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. It's just the way the Dodgers like to do it, right? The former first-round draft pick in 2016 has established himself as one of the premier catchers in the league.
Smith made his debut in 2019 and has been a consistent player in the lineup ever since. In his six-year career in Dodger Blue, Smith has slashed .263/.358/.484 with a .842 OPS, 91 home runs, 308 RBIs, 441 hits, 273 runs, and a 126 OPS+ in 1680 ABs, and 486 games. While Smith didn't have his best season in 2023, there was no doubt he was among the best catchers in the league. He's already off to a tremendous start in 2024. In 10 at-bats, he has collected five hits, two RBIs, and a 1.145 OPS in the first two games of the 2024 season.
Consider this an early birthday present for the 28-year-old, soon-to-be 29-year-old, Thursday, who was slated to reach free agency after the 2025 season. However, that now delays his free agency process, as he'll be 38 by the time he becomes a free agent. Smith is just getting started in his career. He was named a first-time All-Star in 2023 and is above-average at blocking pitches in the dirt and in terms of "pop time" on throws to second base, according to Statcast for 2023.
The Dodgers have already spent big money this offseason, most notably on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Boys in Blue aren't scared of spending big money, and now they have the catcher position covered for the next ten years. The All MLB-Second Team member in 2022 began 2024 by agreeing to a $8.55 million contract, a record amount for a catcher in his second season of salary arbitration.
Smith is fourth fiddle among the big three: Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman. If that's your fourth-best offensive player, you are in trouble. The Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches, and they just added to that a day before Opening Day by singing their star catcher to a massive extension.
The hope is the Dodgers can make a better run at the World Series, and retaining Smith will certainly aid their hopes of that happening. LA is one of the most stacked teams right now, and Smith is part of a core that could be tough to beat.
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