Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts & Freddie Freeman's teammate Blake Snell reveals one uniting factor that drives them and other Dodgers stars

The Los Angeles Dodgers signing Blake Snell in the offseason added to their already impressive catalogue of starting pitchers to choose from. But the five-year $182 million contract was much more than just using him on the mound. For the Dodgers, they were bringing yet another talent with a winning mentality, something they have cultivated in the last few years.

Blake Snell's free agency last season hampered his performance on the mound. After a long drawn process, where he missed Spring Training practice, he signed a two-year $62 million contract.

He started off slow and earned three damaging losses on the mound. However, he had a stunning second half, putting up a 1.45 ERA in 12 games started, including a shutout on Aug. 2 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Quite understandably, the 32-year-old felt he deserved more from the league. and there were teams that were looking to bring in him. With his insistence on wanting to stay in California and wanting to compete, the Los Angeles Dodgers were a perfect fit.

Having played for four organizations, Blake Snell knows how to adapt and acclimiatize to a change in locker room. For him, the Dodgers clubhouse has been familiar because of the shared ambition that players like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman share. In an exclusive interview with San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser on Sunday, Snell said:

“Everyone just wants to win and they’re really good people who love baseball. I’m excited to come in here every day because I know Shohei Ohtani thinks the way I do, Mookie Betts thinks the way I do, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, everyone is on the same page.”

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Clayton Kershaw heaps praise on Blake Snell

Clayton Kershaw is not just a Dodgers icon but has been one of the faces of the league in the last decade and a half. He's regarded as one of the best left-handed pitchers of the current era.

On Sunday, after the Dodgers' 7-5 loss to the Athletics, Kershaw spoke heaped praise on his fellow southpaw, who has been added to the Dodgers' elite pitching rotation.

"As a left-handed pitcher, you always look around the league and see left-handed pitchers that you like watching," Clayton Kershaw said.

"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."

Blake Snell's latest Spring Training effort saw him give away four runs in 3.2 innings against the As. While he continues to get ready for the season, the Dodgers will look to monitor his performance and place him in the rotation in an ideal spot alongside the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Roki Sasaki.