Blake Snell to the Padres? AJ Preller Tells Young Fan 'Probably Not'

The odds just got even smaller.

The Padres have played spring training games for more than a week, and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell remains unsigned. 

With holes in the roster, the Friars certainly could benefit from a reunion with the southpaw.

According to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, that reunion seems like a longshot. In a recent article, Sanders reports that Preller told a young fan the team probably will not bring back Snell:

A.J. Preller, the Padres’ president of baseball operations, was seated in a golf cart behind the backstop for the “B” Game on Field 2 when he was approached by a young boy who asked him if he could bring back Blake Snell. Preller is good with kids: “Probably not,” he said with a sheepish smile.

— via 

Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune

At the beginning of the offseason, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Snell would sign elsewhere. More recently, hope started to spring again as free agent clients of Scott Boras, who represents Snell, began signing short-term contracts with higher average annual values. 

Cody Bellinger, the 2019 NL Most Valuable Player, re-signed with the Chicago Cubs on a three-year $80 million deal. His contract includes player options after each of the first two seasons. If Bellinger continues his strong production in Chicago, he will likely hit free agency again next offseason.

Third baseman Matt Chapman recently inked a contract with the San Francisco Giants with a similar structure. He signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Giants with an opt-out after this year and a player option for 2026. 

With these contracts being the flavor of the month, the Padres could entertain the thought of bringing back Snell essentially on a one-year deal. For whatever reason — either the terms Boras offered for Bellinger and Chapman aren't available for Snell, or the Padres are simply out of cash — that's unlikely now. 

FanGraphs currently lists Randy Vásquez and Pedro Avila as the team's fourth and fifth starter behind Michael King. With Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish coming back from injuries, the young fan certainly sniffed out the team's area of need.