Blake Snell is set to receive simultaneous payments from two MLB franchises in 2026. Although Snell declined his player option with the Giants for 2025, his contract includes a stipulation that requires San Francisco to continue to pay Snell.
“The left-hander agreed in March to a $62 million, two-year contract that included a $17 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, a $15 million salary for 2024 and a $30 million salary for 2025, of which $15 million would have been deferred and payable on July 1, 2027,” wrote Ronald Blum of AP News.
The $17 million signing bonus remains in effect despite Snell’s departure from the Giants. He will receive this payment in Jan. 2026.
His two-year, $182 million contract with the Dodgers also includes a $52 million signing bonus. Like other Dodgers, Snell will receive $65 million in deferred money as part of his contract.
The two-time Cy Young pitcher will receive an average annual salary of $36.4 million, which ranks fifth among all active MLB deals, according to AP News.
Undoubtedly, fellow Dodgers teammate Shohei Ohtani leads the pack with an average salary of $70 million.
The average salaries of Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler ($42 million), New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge ($40 million), and Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob DeGrom ($37 million) rank second through fourth.
After dominating on the mound in 2023 with the San Diego Padres, Snell elected free agency. Despite a standout season, the All-MLB First-Team selection did not sign a contract until a few weeks before Opening Day.
But, this offseason was different. Snell inked a contract with Los Angeles exactly one month after claiming their eighth World Series title in franchise history.
He will join Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow in a quartet of potential aces in the Dodgers rotation.
