"I was shocked" - Blake Snell makes his feelings clear on lack of interest from Giants ahead of $182 million Dodgers move

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a high-profile addition to their rotation in the offseason, following their World Series triumph in October by signing two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell in the offseason.

Blake Snell, who played for the San Francisco Giants in 2024 after his prolonged free agency last offseason, opted out of his contract to become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season.

His free agency didn't stretch for much longer this time around as he signed a five-year, $182,000,000 deal with the Dodgers in November. Although he opted out of his contract with the Giants, Snell was surprised at the lack of interest from San Francisco in his free agency despite a strong finish to the season. He said (via San Francisco Chronicle):

"I know Bob Melvin loves me, and I’m really close with Logan Webb and Matt Chapman. So I was shocked. I thought they’d come after me right away. I really liked it there. I was happy there. But they never even said anything to me."

The two-time Cy Young winner also shared that his former manager Bob Melvin, who was with Snell at the San Diego Padres as well, didn't respond to his text in the offseason.

“I texted Bob and he didn’t reply, and Bob always replies to me, so I kind of had a feeling," Snell added. "But it was weird, especially with all the other teams that were interested in me.”

Clayton Kershaw names Blake Snell his favorite southpaw

Following his deal with the Dodgers, Blake Snell has revealed his admiration for veteran southpaw and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. The veteran Dodgers hurler also shared the same feeling for his new Dodgers teammate, making his admiration known for the two-time Cy Young winner.

"As a left-handed pitcher, you always look around the league and see left-handed pitchers that you like watching," Clayton Kershaw said (via mlb.com). "Blake's definitely my favorite in the league right now. The way he can throw a baseball is special. It's just pretty, the way it comes out of his hand."

With Kershaw expected to return to pitching later this year after undergoing foot and knee surgeries in the offseason, Blake Snell is expected to lead the rotation along with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow.

The rotation will also welcome back Shohei Ohtani sometime in May or June, while new Japanese acquisition Roki Sasaki is likely to be eased into action in his rookie year with the team.