Finally healthy and returning to his Cy Young-winning form, San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell might be pitching his way into a midseason trade. When the Giants signed Blake Snell to a two-year, $62 million contract days before Opening Day, the left-hander was expected to become an ace for the rotation. That simply has not been the case.
Unfortunately, the 31-year-old has dealt with two separate injuries holding him to just nine starts in his first season with the Giants. But after his latest stint on the injured list, the 2023 NL Cy Young winner has looked like himself again. Since being reinstated July 9th, Snell has delivered three consecutive quality starts allowing just six hits and two earned runs in 18 combined innings pitched.
Given his recent resurgence, The Athletic reports that Blake Snell is drawing “significant” trade interest. San Francisco is projected to surpass the first luxury tax threshold by nearly $16 million this season. However, unloading Snell’s contract would not significantly alleviate the situation.
The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly writes the Giants are open to moving Snell, but not to shed payroll. San Francisco gave up a third-round draft pick to sign the veteran southpaw and would try to recoup that talent.
SF Giants Fielding Offers for Ace Blake Snell
Despite a rough start in 2024, Snell has turned his season around after his latest stint on the injured list. In his last three starts, he has pitched to a flat 1.00 ERA alongside a 0.61 WHIP. While walks remain to be of concern for him, his command has gotten better throughout the season.
Snell still has the potential to be a high-end starter whether that’s for the Giants, or another contender. If the Giants do make Snell available, plenty of teams should come calling for the two-time Cy Young winner.
Of the teams in the market for starting pitching, three teams standout as potential suitors for Blake Snell.
Baltimore Orioles
With the best record in the American League and an injury-riddled rotation, the Orioles are in the market for a top-end starting pitcher. Baltimore has already been linked to aces Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal, but Snell could make a lot of sense. Baltimore has the prospects to make a trade, and he would be much cheaper to acquire than either Crochet or Skubal. If Snell can get his season back on track, the Orioles would be a serious contender to acquire him.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Unsurprisingly, the Dodgers would be a serious contender for an ace like Snell. Los Angeles has paid a lot of money this offseason to try to win another World Series, but injuries have been a big issue. Despite Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw returning to the rotation, Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are still sidelined. Like the Orioles, the Dodgers have a plethora of prospects to trade for just about anyone.
New York Yankees
Earlier this year, the Yankees were the best team in baseball. But they started falling apart shortly before the All-Star break, allowing Baltimore to take the division lead. Despite their recent struggles, the Yankees could still be a legitimate World Series contender this season. New York tried to sign Snell in the offseason before he ended up agreeing to a deal with the Giants. Brian Cashman is said to be in the market for starting pitching and Snell might just be the missing piece.
Main Photo: © D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
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