The Tampa Bay Rays announced they’ve given 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell a five-year deal.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports the deal is for $50 million and here’s the breakdown:
2019: $1 million
2020: $7 million
2021: $10.5 million
2022: $12.5 million
2023: $16 million
The left-handed Snell was acquired with the 52nd overall pick by the Rays in the 2011 draft. Snell made his major league debut in the 2016 season.
After being sent down numerous times throughout his first two big league seasons, he decided to change his mechanics in hopes to be more aligned with the strike zone and get back his velocity. Snell came back having moved his stance to the middle of the rubber instead off to the third base side. He also worked on his delivery, so that he was not cross firing his pitches. Another adjustment Snell made was in his preparation before games. He worked a lot on his approach and concentrated a lot on his focus before starts. Once rejoining the team in June he was more focused and looked better than ever.
In 2018, he finished with a record of 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA over 180 and two-thirds innings pitched. His 219 ERA+ led Major League Baseball as did his 5.6 H/9. Snell would’ve been eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2020. However, with this extension this will give the Rays one more year of control on Snell. This deal has the Rays buying out all of Snell’s arbitration years including his season at age 30 with no options. The Rays’ deal also includes $2 million in incentives.
This is the biggest deal ever given to a player with only two years of major league playing time, surpassing the $42 million deal Gio Gonzalez back in 2012 and Corey Kluber‘s $38.5 million deal which had two options from 2015.
