Will Smith Contract: Dodgers, catcher finalizing massive $140,000,000 extension for next decade
Will Smith is going to be the Los Angeles Dodgers catcher for a very long time. He's been their starter for a while, and that's not going to change any time soon. The team and the player just agreed on a 10-year, $140 million extension. He won't hit free agency for a very long time now.
ESPN reporter Jeff Passan broke the news on X, formerly known as Twitter:
"BREAKING: Catcher Will Smith and the Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN."
The Dodgers have been spending rather freely lately, and Will Smith is the latest recipient. He's been a dependable player for them since he debuted, and he's worked well with their pitchers, so they don't want to have to find another backstop for a long time.
Smith won't be available on the market until the 2034 season, a season in which he will be 39 years old. He could keep playing, but this almost functions like a lifetime contract for the player.
Dodgers spending spree continues with Will Smith extension
The Dodgers have no shortage of long contracts as they try and build a sustainable dynasty. Over the next five years or so, Tyler Glasnow, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and now Smith are under contract for that period and more.
Freddie Freeman's contract ends just before that, but he's around for a long while, too. The Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, and they have built a superteam since then. They traded for Betts and Glasnow, signed Freeman, Yamamoto and Ohtani, and they're extending their homegrown talent as well.
They are the World Series favorites again this year, and with the roster they've locked in for the foreseeable future, it's hard to envision them not being the favorites a lot of the time.
Smith is one of the best young catchers in baseball, posting 91 home runs and over 300 RBIs in his career with LA, a career which won't end any time soon.