Dodgers Bet $182 Million on Blake Snell — Now Fans Are Asking: Was This Baseball’s Biggest Bust?
The All-In Gamble: A Franchise’s Massive Investment
In the winter of 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers made headlines across the baseball world by handing Blake Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner, a jaw-dropping $182 million contract. The move sent shockwaves through the MLB ecosystem. It wasn’t just the dollar amount — though that was staggering — it was what the deal represented: a franchise that believed it was one elite arm away from solidifying a dynasty.
But less than two seasons into the deal, what once looked like a shrewd power move has begun to raise serious concerns. Injuries, inconsistency, and whispers of internal frustration have fans and analysts alike revisiting the question: Was this baseball’s biggest bust?
From Cy Young to Center Stage
When Snell signed with the Dodgers, the front office emphasized the timing. Fresh off a dominant campaign with the San Diego Padres, where he led the league in ERA, Snell was supposed to be the finishing touch to an already stacked rotation that included Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, and Julio Urías (before his legal troubles derailed his path). With such firepower, many predicted a World Series parade was practically inevitable.
Snell’s resume was nearly spotless. A Cy Young Award winner in 2018 with Tampa Bay, his bounce-back in 2023 with San Diego seemed to signal a pitcher who had rediscovered his prime. His fastball was electric. His breaking stuff was sharp. And his swagger on the mound was as intimidating as ever.
But as is often the case in baseball, past performance doesn’t always translate into future results, especially when paired with the pressure of one of the most demanding fan bases and media environments in all of sports.
2024: The Cracks Begin to Show
The honeymoon phase in Los Angeles didn’t last long. By May of 2024, Snell was on the injured list, sidelined with a shoulder inflammation that lingered far longer than originally projected. He returned mid-season, but the results were underwhelming. His command was erratic, he struggled to pitch deep into games, and his ERA ballooned to an uncharacteristic 4.72 by year’s end.
More troubling were the intangibles. Reports surfaced about tension between Snell and the coaching staff, with some insiders alleging that Snell resisted analytics-driven changes to his mechanics and pitch selection. While those reports were never confirmed publicly, the whispers grew louder every time Snell was pulled in the fourth inning after issuing his fifth walk of the night.
A Fan Base on Edge
Los Angeles fans are not known for their patience. The Dodgers, long a powerhouse with deep pockets and high expectations, have groomed their audience to expect championships — or at the very least, dominant regular seasons. With each subpar start, the boo birds got louder at Chavez Ravine.
By late 2024, local radio was filled with fiery debates: Was Blake Snell worth it? Was this the worst signing in team history?
Comparisons to past flops — Carl Crawford, Jason Schmidt, and even Trevor Bauer’s toxic legacy — began to surface. But unlike those cases, Snell’s deal was longer, more expensive, and supposed to represent a new era of Dodger dominance. Instead, it seemed to cast a shadow over the entire pitching staff, especially as younger arms like Bobby Miller began to outshine their highly-paid teammate.
2025: From Bad to Worse
If 2024 was a disappointment, then 2025 has been a disaster — at least, so far.
Entering the current season, Snell promised to bounce back. He claimed he was in the best shape of his life, had ironed out his mechanics, and was ready to “remind everyone who Blake Snell is.” But actions speak louder than offseason interviews.
Through June, Snell has posted a 5.11 ERA, with more walks than strikeouts in multiple outings. He’s struggled especially against divisional opponents, giving up seven earned runs to the Giants in a game that saw fans exit by the sixth inning. Even worse, his velocity appears diminished, and his once-deadly slider has lost its bite.
Statcast data tells an even bleaker story. His whiff rate has dropped significantly, and batters are slugging nearly .500 against his fastball, which was once his weapon of choice. Analysts now say Snell’s decline isn’t just a blip — it’s a trend.
The Weight of Expectations
Why has the Snell experiment gone so wrong? Part of it, undoubtedly, is the sheer pressure of a contract that large. When a pitcher signs for nearly $200 million, every outing becomes a referendum on his worth. There’s no room for mediocre starts, no time to work through slumps quietly. Every five-day cycle becomes a news story.
There’s also the reality of Snell’s profile. Even in his best years, he wasn’t a workhorse. He rarely pitched into the seventh inning, and his walk rate was always higher than ideal. When those limitations are amplified by age, injury, and an unforgiving fan base, they can quickly spiral.
Some critics now argue the Dodgers should have seen this coming. That they paid for a peak that may already have passed. That Snell’s dominance in 2023 was more of an outlier than a sign of sustained excellence.
Dodgers’ Front Office Under Fire
President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman was once hailed as a genius — and rightfully so. He built a juggernaut through a blend of analytics, smart trades, and player development. But the Snell contract has opened him up to rare criticism.
Why take such a big swing on a pitcher with such volatility? Was it desperation after missing out on Shohei Ohtani, who stunned the world by choosing to stay in Anaheim? Or was it a move to keep pace with the high-spending Yankees and Mets?
Whatever the motivation, it now looks like a rare but significant misstep for Friedman and his staff. And unlike other contracts, Snell’s deal is structured in a way that makes it hard to move. There’s no easy off-ramp. No team wants to absorb $30+ million per year for a declining pitcher.
What Comes Next for Snell — And the Dodgers?
The million-dollar question — or perhaps more accurately, the $182 million question — is what happens next. The Dodgers can’t simply bench Snell. He’s owed too much, and the optics would be terrible. But they also can’t keep watching him give away winnable games.
Some insiders have floated the idea of moving Snell to a bullpen role, especially in high-leverage situations where he might thrive in shorter bursts. Others believe the team might fake an injury, sending him on an extended IL stint to “recalibrate” away from the media glare.
Blake Snell himself remains defiant. In postgame interviews, he continues to project confidence. He’s said, “I know what I’m capable of. I’ve been counted out before. I’ll prove them wrong again.” That kind of fire is admirable. But Dodgers fans, who have watched start after start fall apart, are running out of patience — and faith.
Is This Baseball’s Biggest Bust?
It’s a loaded question. There have been plenty of bad contracts in baseball history — Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Barry Zito, and others come to mind. But the Snell situation feels different, partly because of the timing and the expectations.
This wasn’t a team rebuilding or taking a flyer. This was a championship-caliber roster betting on an ace to carry them over the finish line. Instead, they’ve been dragged backwards, burdened by inconsistency and cost.
The answer may not be clear until the contract is closer to its end. Snell still has time to turn things around. One brilliant postseason run could flip the narrative. Baseball, after all, is a sport of second chances and sudden turnarounds.
But for now, the verdict from fans is harsh. The laughter from rival fanbases is loud. And the silence from the Dodgers’ front office is telling.
Final Thoughts: The Thin Line Between Glory and Failure
Baseball history is filled with gambles — some that pay off, others that explode on contact. The Dodgers’ $182 million bet on Blake Snell was one of the boldest in recent memory. But boldness comes with risk. And for now, that risk appears to have morphed into a burden.
There’s still time for redemption. But as the innings pass and the boos grow louder, the window is closing. The fans have spoken. The media has turned. And all eyes remain fixed on a pitcher who once ruled the mound — and now teeters on the brink of baseball’s most infamous label: a bust.
