Blake Snell Reportedly Received a Contract Offer, But Not From Angels

The left-hander's free agency draws closer to a conclusion.

For most of this year's offseason, the Los Angeles Angels have been rumored to be in the mix to sign left-handed pitcher Blake Snell.

While Snell has taken his time to find his next team, it appears the market could begin heating up. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports the New York Yankees have made Snell an offer.

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner could be waiting for other bids to pour in before making his choice, but this could be a catalyst. With spring training drawing closer, teams will likely start to compete against one another for the 31-year-old left-hander.

"The Yankees seem to believe Snell wants to be here and are guessing the main competition may come from the Giants and Angels, who aren’t as appealing from a competitive standpoint. Of course, it’s hard to guess who else might get involved for a pitcher who posted an MLB-best 1.20 ERA over the final four-plus months of last season. The Phillies, baseball’s best free-agent players, are among others who’ve checked in and seek yet another starter."

New York Post

Snell is coming off a dominant 2023 season. He led the NL in ERA (2.25) and is also coming off a career year in strikeouts (234).

Acquiring a pitcher like Snell could be a difference-maker for the Angels this offseason. On paper, they have a capable offense that features Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Brandon Drury, and up-and-coming stars Mickey Moniak, Logan O'Hoppe and Zach Neto.

On the pitching side, the Angels lack a true ace following the departure of two-way star Shohei Ohtani. Their starting rotation will likely feature Patrick Sandoval, Griffin Canning, Reid Detmers, Tyler Anderson, and possibly Jose Suarez or Zach Plesac.

Angels general manager Perry Minasian has reiterated he plans to be aggressive. Having already signed Plesac, Luis Garcia and Adam Cimber to upgrade a subpar bullpen, Minasian has kept true to his word. The Angels were not as aggressive in their pursuit of Ohtani or other star free agents, leaving fans to question if Minasian is being aggressive enough.

Minasian is heading into the final year of his contract with the organization, and could be counting on this team making the postseason to earn a new contract.

Signing Snell would help. The price will likely be steep, and the Yankees' offer could separate teams like the Angels from the category of "serious bidders" to "also-rans."