The Dodgers are now the defending champions and work on their title defense has already begun after some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

While the offseason work has already begun here at True Blue LA, my thoughts flashed back to the last time the Dodgers were in this position during the offseason following the 2020 COVID Cup.

My thoughts kept going back to a quote I read from Andy McCullough’s biography of Clayton Kershaw: The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness.

When discussing the thought process Kershaw went through in the years following winning the 2020 World Series, which led him back to the Dodgers after considering joining his hometown Texas Rangers and retiring, the mindset from the Dodgers’ front office to start the 2021 season discussed. and can best be described in three words.

“Let’s be pigs.”

On page 325 of McCullough’s book, the above quote is attributed to Andrew Friedman because the organization’s thought process was to avoid sitting on their laurels with just one title.

Snellzilla is coming south

Aside from what the Dodgers did in 2021, the question is whether the Dodgers would become great again this current offseason. That question was answered seriously late Tuesday evening.

On the evening of November 26, Blake Snell posted a photo of himself in a Dodger jersey. Shortly afterwards the other shoe dropped.

In anticipation of a physical matchup, the defending champions bolstered their rotation with arguably the best starter on the market in five years in Snell, $182 million.

Represented by Scott Boras, Snell started 2024 infamously late after signing with the San Francisco Giants late in hopes of a huge free agent deal that just didn’t materialize. Snell signed a two-year, $64 million deal with an opt-out clause with San Francisco.

After a difficult start, as the season progressed, the question arose whether as Snell would opt to turn his deal with the Giants into a matter when Snell would opt out of his deal with the Giants.

In his final fourteen starts of the year, Snell was virtually unhittable. He had a 1.23 earned run average while holding opponents to a .123/.211/.171 batting line. His FIP during this stretch was a spectacular 1.77.

Assuming Snell passes his physical, Snell figures emerge to fit into the burgeoning Hydra that is now the Dodgers’ rotation with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow. Not to mention Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Landon Knack and the likely returning Clayton Kershaw.

Snell’s deal includes approximately $60 million in deferred money and a clause that will have the Dodgers pay Snell an additional $5 million if he is traded.

As it stands now, the new contract would cover Snell’s seasons between ages 32 and 36. Snell’s contract includes a $52 million signing bonus and no opt-out clauses.

When this signing becomes official, the Dodgers will have 37 players on the 40-man rosterincluding 23 pitchers and 14 position players.