Final week, whereas studying my colleague Mike Petriello’s all the time incredible prediction of the 40 Corridor of Famers we’ll be watching this season, I did a double-take when he included Blake Snell as a chance. Blake Snell? The man who at the moment has fewer profession innings pitched than Danny Duffy and Matt Moore? Snell has had his moments, however … Corridor of Fame? However then Petriello’s piece jogged my memory:
When you get three [Cy Young Awards], you’re in, and is it that exhausting to see both [Jacob] deGrom or Snell placing collectively only one extra tremendously good season? And in the event that they do, can you actually maintain them out?
And he’s completely proper. If Blake Snell wins one other Cy Younger – and it’s hardly a loopy thought; he simply gained one – he would appear to be ticketed for the Corridor of Fame. In spite of everything, as Petriello factors out, each different three-time winner is there (apart from the three energetic pitchers who will get in, and Roger Clemens, who’s out for different causes.) Blake Snell! Corridor of Famer! Who would have thought it?
That is all to say that whereas there was some skepticism about Snell’s free-agent case this offseason – principally due to his lack of innings, his shockingly excessive stroll complete and issues that he gained’t all the time be capable of pitch himself out of bother like he did final yr – that is nonetheless a incredible pitcher. The disparity between how Snell and his agent Scott Boras (who retains evaluating him to Randy Johnson) see his market and, nicely, how MLB groups see his market is the explanation he hasn’t signed but. However somebody’s going to signal him, and somebody’s going to be lots higher as a result of they did. And also you by no means know: He may simply put on their hat on a Corridor of Fame plaque sometime.
However who will really signal him? Right here’s a rating of Snell’s doable suitors, from more than likely to least seemingly.
1. Angels
Look, the Angels are going to must spend their cash someplace after Shohei Ohtani’s departure, and this is perhaps the proper match. Snell is a West Coast man (from the Seattle space) who would seemingly match higher in Anaheim than, say, the Bronx, and clearly the necessity in Anaheim is fairly profound. Would Snell be keen to join a half-decade or extra with a crew that doesn’t appear to have a transparent path to competition? If there’s sufficient cash on the desk, he definitely may. Actually, one of many causes that Snell’s such a polarizing free agent is as a result of there isn’t a apparent match for him. So that is nearly as good a prime general guess as any.
2. Yankees
Is it doable that the one purpose fellow free-agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery looks like extra of a match than Snell within the Bronx is as a result of he’s already pitched there? If Snell goes out and wins an AL Cy Younger Award for the Yanks, belief me: The Bleacher Creatures will love him. Combining Snell with Gerrit Cole would give the membership a top-tier one-two punch and slightly extra certainty because it waits to see what Carlos Rodón may be capable of supply this yr. Certain, the Yankees can be slightly lefty heavy, and if the contract is just too lengthy it’d trigger them some complications attempting to maintain Juan Soto long run, however they should win this yr. Snell definitely would assist them try this.
3. Dodgers
So long as they’ve roster spots out there, we’ve realized they’ll spend to fill them. Snell would really be exactly what the Dodgers want in 2024, although it’s definitely up for debate if he’s what they’d want in 2030, or nonetheless lengthy a contract would maintain him in L.A. However the one clear weak point the Dodgers have proper now’s beginning pitching – albeit a lot much less of 1 than in the beginning of the offseason. Making Snell their, uh, No. 3 (?) starter would go an extended strategy to eliminating that weak point fully.
4. Cubs
The Cubs are going to must signal somebody sooner or later. Snell, in some ways, is the other of the remainder of their starters in that he racks up numerous strikeouts and walks versus counting on a wonderful protection. Justin Steele is a stable No. 1, however he’d be an excellent higher No. 2, and Snell, if wholesome, is an improve over free agent Marcus Stroman. The Cubs are going to make a splash quickly, or at the least they’d higher. Snell can be fairly a splash.
5. Padres
The Padres simply had one of the crucial disappointing seasons of their historical past, after which they misplaced their greatest hitter (Juan Soto) and will quickly lose their nearer (Josh Hader) and Cy Younger winner in Snell. So perhaps they attempt to minimize their losses by hanging on to Snell. That might require a giant dedication that would appear to fly within the face of a few of their different strikes this offseason, however that mentioned, this crew does nonetheless have three MVP-caliber gamers on the roster in Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr. The rotation, nonetheless, might use some assist, and Snell is aware of he can succeed right here. He was an awesome match earlier than, and there’s no purpose he couldn’t be an awesome match shifting ahead.
6. Mariners
The Giants-Mariners commerce final week, the one which despatched Robbie Ray to San Francisco and Mitch Haniger again to Seattle, definitely dropped the Giants, lengthy thought-about a logical touchdown place for Snell, down this checklist. But it surely might need raised the Mariners up it. Snell has made no secret of his want to move again dwelling, and buying and selling Ray did unencumber some future payroll house. It’s not clear whether or not Seattle will use that on Snell, however he does actually match his hometown crew like a glove. Do the Mariners have the desire to make it occur?
7. Giants
Does bringing in Ray take them out of the working? Would signing Shōta Imanaga? It is exhausting to say, even when all three are left-handed, and the match between crew and participant had most individuals placing the Giants atop this checklist earlier than the Ray commerce. It appears much less seemingly now, however that doesn’t make it unattainable.
8. Phillies
He matches the veteran profile, even when he doesn’t match the outdated Veterans Stadium profile of your ideally suited Phillies fan favourite. However Snell, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola would make fairly a prime three come October.
9. Pink Sox
They just lately traded one ace left-hander (Chris Sale), and Snell may very well be the man to switch him, even when the 2 males have little in frequent apart from each being proficient southpaws. It’s not clear whether or not Snell’s laid-back Pacific Northwest vibe can be slot in Boston, however stranger issues have occurred.
10. Orioles
Critically … that is the proper match for the Orioles, and perhaps for Snell, who would seemingly be acquired fairly nicely right here, as a veteran ace on an up-and-coming squad. But it surely’s removed from clear, primarily based on their current historical past, that the Orioles are going to make a severe run at any big-ticket free agent, which retains Baltimore towards the underside of this checklist.
11. Mets
It’s a free agent energy rating. You all the time have to incorporate them. However after lacking out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it looks as if the Mets desire to deal with lower-key strikes this offseason.
