The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith have agreed on a 10-year contract worth $140 million, the team announced on Wednesday. Nearly $45 million of the total amount will be deferred, with a $30 million signing bonus included. This deal is the third-largest ever given to a catcher in MLB history, behind only Joe Mauer and Buster Posey.
Smith, who turns 29 on Thursday, was previously set to become a free agent after the 2025 season. However, the new contract extends his timeline by almost a decade. Smith is widely regarded as one of the premier hitting catchers in baseball, having been an All-Star once and compiling impressive numbers since his MLB debut in 2019. He was selected as the No. 32 overall pick out of the University of Louisville in 2016 and has excelled with a .263/.358/.484 batting line and an average of 30 home runs per 162 games played.
On defense, Statcast evaluations for 2023 rated Smith as above-average in blocking pitches in the dirt and his “pop time” on throws to second base but below average in pitch-framing. Notably, the Dodgers’ system boasts top catching prospects Dalton Rushing and Thayron Liranzo, ranked as No. 1 and No. 3 respectively by CBS Sports.
The Dodgers have made significant financial commitments this offseason, with Ohtani and Yamamoto both receiving large contracts that exceeded $1 billion in future salary combined. With these commitments and Smith’s extension, it looks like Los Angeles is poised to continue its run of success for years to come.
