Padres NL West Rival 'Very Much In' on Blake Snell

How would you feel about Snell staying in the division?

It's March 2 and reigning Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell remains unsigned. Entering the offseason, it was thought that Snell would command a ton of excitement on the open market, considering he was one of the best pitchers available. 

However, teams have been hesitant to meet his asking price, which has reportedly been over $200 million. At some point, either Snell or some team will balk at their holding so that the ace can join a team for the season. 

With other free agents signing for less money than they would have hoped for, ala Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman, Snell may need to do the same. Chapman just signed with the San Francisco Giants, and it seems the Padres NL West rival may not be done. 

According to Giants reported Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants remain "very much in" on Snell, despite their addition of Chapman. San Francisco has been linked with the Padres ace all offseason but likely has been waiting for the right time to strike. 

I’ve confirmed Chapman to the Giants, opt outs each year. And this does *not* mean they are out on Snell. They are still very much in.

— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) March 2, 2024

Snell heading up north wouldn't be good for the Padres, as they would have to face him multiple times a year for the next few seasons. He would create a strong front-of-the-rotation duo with right-hander Logan Webb, giving the Giants a lethal rotation at the top. 

San Diego is already seemingly behind the eight-ball within the NL West, with both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks loading up this winter. If the Giants add Snell, they likely leapfrog San Diego in terms of the division race.

The Padres hope that Snell heads elsewhere, but his familiarity with Giants manager Bob Melvin could see him land up north. It remains to be seen where Snell will ultimately sign, but it'll likely happen sooner rather than later, at this point in the offseason.