Padres Rumors: Insider Predicts Blake Snell Signs With High-Spending NL Squad in Offseason
Within the tough season for the San Diego Padres, starting pitcher Blake Snell put together one of the better years we have seen in a while. He was special all season long, and it will likely help him win his second Cy Young award.
Snell finished the 2023 campaign with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 1.18. He struck out 234 batters over 180 innings of work, and he was almost unhittable at times throughout the season.
He helped keep the Padres afloat during the year, and his domination helped them enter the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to make the playoffs. But, even with his overall dominance, it doesn’t seem that he will be returning to San Diego next season.
Snell will be a free agent this winter, and he is going to get a very nice payday. He will be the most coveted pitcher on the open market, and teams will be lining up to try and land his services.
MLB writer Erik Beaston put together a list of the top free agents and predicted where they would land this offseason. Within it, he has Snell heading to the East Coast to pitch for the New York Mets.
“With Snell expected to be a top pitching free agent, if not the most coveted, he will fetch a big contract. The New York Mets are a team to watch, even if they are still shell-shocked from a disastrous 2023 season that fell far short of expectations.”
Like the Padres, the Mets also heavily disappointed this season, but they sold off a ton of assets at the trade deadline. This includes Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, so they will likely be looking for pitching help this winter.
"Snell is 30 years old and seemingly in his prime, neither of which the future Hall of Famers were when they came to Queens."
Snell makes sense for the Mets, and it would give him a chance to play in a big market as well. Assuming he doesn't return to San Diego, which is unlikely, don't sleep on New York for his services this winter.
