Dodgers, All-Star Catcher Will Smith Agree to 10-Year Contract Extension
The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a 10-year, $140 million extension with All-Star catcher Will Smith. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was among those to report the news.
Smith, 28, told Dodgers Nation earlier this spring that he hadn’t yet opened contract negotiations with the team.
However, things clearly moved quickly, as Smith and the Dodgers agreed to a 10-year deal to keep him in Los Angeles likely for the remainder of his career.
Smith was drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft by the Dodgers.
He quickly rose the ranks of the minor leagues, and made his debut in 2019. Smith then burst onto the scene, hitting 15 home runs in 54 games, making it clear that he would be a future star in this league.
Smith made his presence known in 2021 and 2022, with back-to-back 20-plus home run seasons, establishing himself as a premier catch in Major League Baseball.
Then, in 2023, he finally earned his first All-Star nod, but dealt with injuries that derailed part of his season.
Now, Smith locked in an extension with the Dodgers, where he’ll likely spend the rest of his career.
He’s the Dodgers’ cleanup hitter behind one of the most potent top of the lineups in MLB history with Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, and will have ample chances to drive in runs for the next decade.
This story will be updated with more analysis soon.
How much is deferred?
THE VECCHIO FACTOR SAYS…10 years-$140 million?? Not bad for a catcher who is average defensively, a below average-to-average pitch-caller, and can’t throw runners out trying to steal 2nd base! Of course, now every catcher, some more talented than Smith in the Dodger organization, will want to be traded or released. Nice job front office. Couldn’t you have offered 5 years for $100 mil, plus options? He’s a decent hitter, not great. Perhaps the deal was predicated on deferred money?