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Starting pitcher Blake Snell is coming off a dominant 2023 campaign. He finished the year with a 2.25 ERA and 234 strikeouts across 32 starts for the San Diego Padres.
The left-hander went on to win his second Cy Young last year, joining just a handful of pitchers who have won one in both the American League and National League. Snell also won the AL Cy Young in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he had a 1.89 ERA across 31 starts.
However, Snell remains a free agent. With Opening Day starting in just one month, no team has been able to meet the southpaw's asking price. If a team decides they can, which franchises are the best fit for the 31-year-old pitcher? Let's dive in and find out.
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San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants have not shied away from spending money in free agency in recent years, and Snell could be an option for them. For starters, a starting pitcher is an immediate need for them. After losing a handful of pitchers this offseason, the Giants' current rotation features Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, and Kyle Harrison.
San Francisco did trade for Robbie Ray this offseason, but he is expected to miss the first two months of the season. That means if the team wants to be competitive in 2024, signing a pitcher like Snell could help a ton.
Blake Snell to the Giants makes way too much sense for it not to happen.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) February 21, 2024
A one-two punch of Snell and Webb would be extremely dangerous. The two combined for 428 strikeouts across 396 innings pitched last year. If the Giants entered a series with this duo, they would have a great shot of winning at least two of the three games.
Los Angeles Angels
It appears at this point in the offseason that Snell is waiting for the best deal. Since the Los Angeles Angels missed out on re-signing Shohei Ohtani, they are actively looking to replace the two-way star. A good starting point would be to sign the left-hander to a multi-year deal.
Mark Feinsand's latest says the Angels are "primed to ultimately land either Montgomery or Snell when all is said and done."
Interesting development for two guys who'd immediately profile as the Angels No. 1 starter. https://t.co/wGGbt1quaf pic.twitter.com/QSA1eT1rbM
— Brent Maguire (@bmags94) February 25, 2024
As it stands now, the Angels will roll out Reid Detmers on Opening Day with Griffin Canning, Chase Silseth, Patrick Sandoval, and Tyler Anderson to follow. That is likely a bottom rotation in baseball. Last year, Detmers finished with a 4.48 ERA across 28 starts.
The Angels likely won't be competitive in 2024. However, if they want to build their franchise up again, signing Snell could be the start of something.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are the best possible landing spot for the southpaw. Not only would Snell go to a team that has championship aspirations, but he would immediately form the best one-two punch in baseball with Gerrit Cole.
The Yankees are likely content with how their offseason went, especially since they traded for Juan Soto. Nevertheless, another rotation spot is surely open in New York. Right now, Cole, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, and Marcus Stroman round out a very strong four-some rotation.
Jeff Passan said the Yankees make the most sense for Snell, but believes the Angels are still in play and that it will ultimately come down to Yankees and Angels. pic.twitter.com/QtLNrU7TsD
— Dugout Station (@DugoutStation) February 23, 2024
The final spot likely goes to Clarke Schmidt, but adding Snell to that rotation would make them one of the best in baseball. The Yankees reportedly offered him a six-year contract worth $150 million this offseason, according to MLB.con's Mark Feinsand. So, the team appears to be interested in the two-time Cy Young winner. If they can get a deal done, this would be a fantastic landing spot for the southpaw.
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