When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed starting pitchers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki a few months ago, it seemed that the organization had won the offseason. The former is a proven MLB pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays, reaching the World Series, and the other with a great reputation in Japan, his home country, and because of his age was signed at a very low cost. It seemed that the reigning MLB champions had strengthened their starting lineup.
If you add to this the possible return to the mound of Shohei Ohtani, who finally recovered enough to play again as a two-way player. It is also worth noting that National League All-Star Tyler Glasnow would be healthy after missing the entire 2024 postseason with the Los Angeles club. But this season has not turned out as the Dodgers or the rest of the baseball world would have expected.
The injuries in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting lineup
Snell only made two starts before suffering a shoulder injury, Glasnow only made five, Sasaki could be out for the rest of the season and Ohtani returned to pitching last month. Snell and Sasaki’s injuries are arguably the most disappointing, as the Dodgers barely got a glimpse of what they could have been for the rotation. But Sasaki only has a minor league contract with a $6.5 million signing bonus, while Snell has a hefty five-year, $182 million contract.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner’s contract has an average annual value of $36.4 million, which makes him the third-highest-paid pitcher in MLB, according to Bleacher Report. Only the $42 million AAV of Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler and the $37 million AAV of Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher Jacob deGrom are worth more than Snell. The Dodgers can only hope that Snell returns and dominates as he did last season, or else the deal could really have been a bust.
A million-dollar payment for an unforeseen event that will be very costly
Both Wheeler and deGrom are heading to represent their teams in the All-Star Game on July 15. Meanwhile, Snell has not set a date for his return to the mound. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller claimed that Snell’s contract is one of the worst in MLB. The Dodgers owe him a lot of money and get very little in return.The Dodgers transferred Snell to the 60-day injured list on May 17 and have yet to assign him to rehab. Snell has progressed in his recovery, pitching his first simulated inning against live batters Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. Snell also missed most of the first half of last season playing for the San Francisco Giants. He suffered a left adductor and left groin strain, but upon his return, he posted a 1.23 ERA in 14 starts.
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