Padres Rumors: Writer Thinks Both Blake Snell, Josh Hader Find New Teams This Offseason

After 2023, the two great arms may be gone.

As their division rival in the Los Angeles Dodgers have officially clinched the NL West division, one of the Padres' goals at the start of the season is officially out of reach despite the star-studded roster they've compiled. 

Among the talented names that litter the roster, two impending free agents may be on their way out this winter for new challenges to continue their MLB careers. 

The Padres have two of baseball's best upcoming free agents in starter Blake Snell and closer Josh Hader, and there's a good chance both guys will be pitching elsewhere in 2024. My guess is both pitchers will walk, the rotation will be addressed by looking for more moves like last offseason's Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha signings, and the closer's role will go to Scott Barlow in 2024.

via Joel Reuter, Bleacher Report

Snell seems to have all but wrapped his second Cy Young award of his career after a dominant performance all season long. 

With secondary favorite Justin Steele giving up six runs on the road in Arizona for his most recent appearance, Snell's latest start saw him silence the Dodgers over six innings with eight punchouts in a shutout performance. 

Such an exclamation mark on the race should all but seal the individual award for the lefty after a dismal season for the team as a whole. 

Similarly to Snell, the former Brewers closer in Hader picked up the save against the Dodgers to push his season total to 28. 

An equally impressive ERA as a reliever, Hader's prowess as the closer for the Friars should earn him a significant payday from any team. 

Far out of the playoff race and possibly concerned about Juan Soto's impending extension, try as they might, the Padres may be unable to afford one or both of their talented pitchers come winter.