Philadelphia Phillies Linked to Cy Young Winner at Trade Deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to the San Diego Padres' ace Blake Snell at this season's MLB trade deadline.

Kade Kistner | Jul 17, 2023

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies will be active as buyers at this season's MLB trade deadline.

The question is just how big of a splash do they want to make?

A new column has the Phillies linked as a potential suitor for San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell who won the Cy Young award in 2018.

That 2018 season was spent with the Tampa Bay Rays where he accumulated a league-leading 1.89 ERA over 180.2 innings pitched.

But he hasn't been able to replicate those types of numbers since, but he is still an great pitcher.

In 2023, Snell has posted a 2.71 ERA over 103.0 innings pitched. He would slot in as one of the most productive starters in Philadelphia's rotation. In fact, the trio of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Blake Snell could form one of the most potent threesomes in baseball.

It also addresses the question of the fifth starter the Phillies have been trying to answer since Opening Day.

Snell is a free agent after the season, so the cost to acquire him, while steep, won't be as high as a pitcher with an extra years of team control. But he is generating some interest from other teams, potentially driving up the price.

Adding Snell would give Philadelphia the boost it needs to make a strong run at a postseason spot and ultimately another World Series appearance.

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Published Jul 17, 2023

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.