As of Friday, at least five teams had expressed interest in San Francisco Giants left-hander Blake Snell. On Sunday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post confirmed the rumors by reporting that the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres were among the teams in the running.
Snell improved his trade value with a stellar performance on Saturday in a 5-0 win, pitching six scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts and just two walks. Though he had a 5.10 ERA in 10 starts, the veteran has been on an upswing lately.
In his past four starts, Snell has given up just two runs in 24 innings with 30 strikeouts and seven walks — the kind of pitcher the Giants were hoping to acquire when they signed him at the end of spring training.
If Snell were available, he would be the top player on the market and would be deserving of a big payoff. But he has an opt-out right after his first season, which creates a roadblock for future teams. Would they trade him for a rental player or a player who is under contract through the 2025 season?
That kind of quality is hard to project, and the way he’s pitched recently it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he wouldn’t give up the remaining year and $30 million on his contract. Snell should be able to get a lot more than that in free agency, and he’s not even getting a qualifying offer this time around.
The Yankees and Padres are the types of teams the Giants would want to consider. Of course, the Yankees are under constant pressure to compete and acquire players who can help them down the stretch. The Yankees are 61-45 and in second place in the tough American League West, but they’re struggling in July with a 7-13 record.
Meanwhile, the Padres are also interested in Snell. A.J. Preller is one of the most aggressive managers in baseball and typically offers more than any other team when targeting players. The Giants could use that as a bargaining chip or consider negotiating a rare inter-division trade.
Of course, San Diego is well aware of the 31-year-old pitcher, who spent the past three seasons in a Padres uniform.
Snell’s addition would change the dynamics of the starting rotation and make him a formidable ace in a playoff series, but with how the Giants’ starting rotation has performed over the past week, the team may want to keep the left-hander in hopes of helping them win.