Sports
Dodgers agree to sign two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell
The Dodgers won the World Series last season in spite of their short-handed pitching.
Next year, they hope a reinforced staff can be the key to defending their title.
To that end, the Dodgers made a major move Tuesday night, agreeing to a five-year, $182-million contract with two-time Cy Young Award winning pitcher Blake Snell pending a physical, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
The deal, which includes a $52-million signing bonus and some deferred money, was first signaled Tuesday night by Snell, who posted to Instagram a photoshopped image of himself in a Dodgers jersey. The caption read “LA” with an eyeballs emoji.
Suddenly, a year after the Dodgers added frontline arms Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow for more than $1 billion combined, their latest addition was clear. Once again, they had flung their wallet wide open. Once again, they had made a blockbuster addition to their starting rotation.
Snell, 31, has been one of the top left-handed pitchers in the game during his nine-year career. Though he has only once been an All-Star, the 6-foot-4 Seattle native won the American League Cy Young with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, the National League Cy Young with the San Diego Padres in 2023, and has amassed a 3.19 ERA and 1,368 strikeouts over 211 career starts.
Originally drafted in the first round by Tampa Bay in 2011 — when Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ current president of baseball operations, was running the Rays’ front office — Snell has flashed some of the majors’ best stuff in the last decade.
He pairs his mid-90s fastball with a curveball, changeup and slider — all three of which registered whiff rates of 44% or higher last season. He has averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings in his career, the highest mark in major league history. And he has a track record of postseason success, with a 3.33 ERA in 12 career playoff appearances.
Durability and consistency have been issues. Snell has pitched more than 130 innings only twice (eclipsing 180 in each of his two Cy Young seasons). And while he has posted a sub-3.40 ERA in a season five times, he has also suffered ERAs above 4.00 in three other seasons.
Still, when Snell is right, there are few better pitchers in the game.
And even though the Dodgers managed to piece together just enough on the mound in October to win a championship, they entered this offseason hoping to shore up their staff with an established, high-caliber arm exactly like him.
The Dodgers made a play for Snell late in his free agency last offseason, when his market failed to materialize as expected coming off his 2023 Cy Young in San Diego.
However, the Giants ultimately landed his services with a two-year, $62-million deal that included an opt-out this winter which Snell exercised.
Snell’s 2024 season didn’t begin well. He missed most of spring training after signing in mid-March. He had 9.51 ERA at the end of June, having made only six starts in the first three months because of multiple stints on the injured list. And at one point, he seemed likely to exercise his 2025 option, and try to rebuild his stock this coming year.
But then, Snell went on a tear during the second half, going 5-0 with an 1.23 ERA over his final 14 outings — including a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 2.
That run re-established Snell as one of the top arm’s on this year’s market, alongside Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. And it led to a signing Tuesday that, given the Dodgers’ flirtation with Snell last offseason, felt like a long time coming, even though the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees were reportedly making a push for Snell before he signed with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers, of course, hoped they had solved their pitching issues with their other offseason additions last year, when they signed Yamamoto to a record $325-million contract and traded for Glasnow and signed him to a $136.5-million extension (Ohtani was unable to pitch in 2024 while recovering from a Tommy John revision).
During the season, though, Yamamoto missed several months because of a shoulder injury, Glasnow was lost late in the year to an elbow injury and the rest of the Dodgers’ rotation crumbled around them, leaving the team with just three healthy starters — including trade deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty — entering the playoffs.
Thanks to a deep bullpen and potent lineup, it was still enough for the Dodgers to win the World Series.
But as the team looked ahead to next year, when it is expected to use a six-man rotation as Ohtani resumes pitching, the rotation became a clear need.
And Snell became the club’s most obvious target.
The Dodgers could still add more pitching this winter. Flaherty and Walker Buehler remain free agents, and have voiced their desire to stay with the team next year. Star Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is also expected to sign with an MLB club in January, with the Dodgers seen as a likely landing spot for the 23-year-old flame-thrower.
But as it stands now, the Dodgers will have Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow and now Snell headlining their rotation. They will have Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Bobby Miller and Clayton Kershaw (who is still expected to re-sign with the team) serving as depth. And they should have a greater margin for error in case more injuries arise, after making Snell the latest nine-figure pitching acquisition to their increasingly star-studded staff.
The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
BROWNS EXECS RAISE EYEBROWS WITH REACTIONS AFTER DRAFTING SHEDEUR SANDERS FOLLOWING HISTORIC SLIDE
And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)
GREG OLSEN’S ADVICE FOR NFL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND PICKS ON HANDLING HIGH EXPECTATIONS
ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.
BROWNS MAKE STUNNING KENNY PICKETT TRADE TO RAIDERS AS BACKUP QUARTERBACK ROLE REMAINS WIDE OPEN
They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”
This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
PRO WRESTLING STARS CHRIS SABIN, ALEX SHELLEY TALK POSSIBILITY OF WWE USING TNA’S GIMMICK MATCHES
Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
-
Minneapolis, MN2 minutes agoMinneapolis campaigners press Swiss National Bank to dump Palantir investment
-
Indianapolis, IN8 minutes agoSaints lose third in a row in Indianapolis
-
Pittsburg, PA14 minutes agoThe Steelers’ Makai Lemon whiff is sadly emblematic of the state of the franchise
-
Augusta, GA20 minutes agoAugusta Tech receives $6.8 million to complete Jim Hudson Automotive Institute
-
Washington, D.C26 minutes agoTrump says he’ll renovate ‘filthy’ reflecting pool on National Mall
-
Cleveland, OH32 minutes agoNike FreezeFest | October 24, 2026 | Greater Cleveland Sports Commission
-
Austin, TX38 minutes agoAustin ISD is under state investigation for celebrating Pride Week
-
Alabama44 minutes agoRams make surprise first-round move, take Alabama QB Ty Simpson