Dodgers Sign Will Smith to 10-Year, $140 Million Contract Extension

The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith have reached an agreement on a 10-year contract extension valued at $140 million, as announced by the team on Wednesday. Nearly $45 million of the total amount will be deferred, with a $30 million signing bonus included. This deal marks the third-largest contract ever given to a catcher in MLB history, trailing only Joe Mauer and Buster Posey.

Turning 29 on Thursday, Smith was previously set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, but the new contract extends his timeline by almost a decade. 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. Selected as the No. 32 overall pick out of the University of Louisville in 2016, Smith 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.

In addition to the extension for Smith, the Dodgers have made significant financial commitments this offseason, exceeding $1 billion in future salary for free agents like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.