On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers gave catcher Will Smith a 10-year, $140 million extension. The extension means that Smith will probably finish his career with the Dodgers.
The deal includes a $30 million signing bonus, Smith will get $15 million of that this November, and the other half in January 2025, and a deferred compensation portion, $5 million, will be paid annually between 2034-43, according to MLB.com. The Dodgers have spent a lot of money this offseason as Smith’s extension comes after Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325 million deal, Tyler Glasgow’s five-year, $137.5 million extension, and a one year, $23.5 million deal for Teoscar Hernandez. In total, the Dodger committed to more than $1.35 billion in future salaries this offseason, according to ESPN.
Extending Smith is a smart move for the Dodgers. Smith is one of the best catchers in the game and is one of the better hitters among catchers. Last year, he hit .261 with 19 home runs and 76 RRBIs and was named an All-Star for the first time. This spring, he hit .258 with three home runs and six RBIs. After the Seoul Series, Smith is hitting .500 with two RBIs. Another positive for keeping Smith is he can move around and play different positions. He played second and third base in the Dodgers minor league system so that he could play a different position than catcher at some point in the future.
Smith’s extension, along with the other moves the Dodgers made in the offseason, will make the Dodgers hard to beat for years to come.
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