The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping to add another starting pitcher this winter, but in order to land an ace like Blake Snell, the team will reportedly have to compete with the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.
Snell, 31, has already starting the process of meeting with interested teams. The free agent pitcher is likely proactive because he lingered on the market last winter until mid-March. The Dodgers are among the teams that have met with Snell.
The left-hander spent 2024 in San Francisco and emerged as one of the best starters in baseball during the latter half of the year. There’s a possibility that Snell could return to the Bay and remain with the Giants for another season.
“[Snell] loved San Francisco and he thrived in San Francisco, and if you love San Francisco, there’s a good chance you end up in San Francisco,” Jon Heyman of the New York Post said.
Along with trying to convince Snell not to return to San Francisco, the Dodgers will have to persuade Snell not to make the move to the east coast.
If the Yankees manage to keep Juan Soto in the Bronx, then the Yankees likely won’t go after Snell this winter. However, if Soto makes his departure, the Yankees could try to land Snell as they use the Soto money elsewhere.
Other interested teams in the free agent pitcher include the New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays, per reports.
Snell opted out of his two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants, indicating the ace was interested in hearing what other clubs wanted to offer him. Snell had a slow start in 2024 as he posted a 9.51 ERA through his first six starts with the Giants.
Snell landed on the injured list twice within the first three months in San Francisco. However, Snell emerged as a top veteran pitcher in the final months of the 2024 campaign. Snell’s final months in the Bay featured 114 strikeouts over 80.1 innings.
The Dodgers will have to weigh how much Snell is worth as he is turning 32, but is also just a year removed from winning his second Cy Young. Snell is projected to get a multiyear deal worth north of $100 million.
