Dodgers Lock in 10-Year, $140 Million Extension with Elite Catcher Will Smith
The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced a 10-year contract extension worth $140 million for catcher Will Smith. The deal, which includes a $30 million signing bonus and nearly $45 million deferred, extends his timeline in the organization by almost a decade.
Smith, who turns 29 on Thursday, was previously set to become a free agent after the 2025 season but will now remain with the Dodgers through 2036. Known as one of the premier hitting catchers in baseball, Smith has been an All-Star once and has compiled 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 the defensive side, 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, exceeding $1 billion in future salary for free agents like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. With Smith’s extension, they have secured another key piece of their core roster for years to come.
