Blake Snell entered MLB free agency as one of the most coveted players available this winter. Months into the process, the NL Cy Young Award winner remains unsigned. While he has significant interest from teams, Snell’s asking price could be playing a part in his slow market.
Snell, age 31, is coming off an outstanding season with the San Diego Padres. The 6-foot-4 southpaw held opponents to a .180 batting average during the regular season which earned him the Cy Young Award. While he does have some command issues (4.95 BB/9 and a 13.3% walk rate) teams still widely view him as a front-line starter for a World Series contender.
- Blake Snell stats: 2.25 ERA, 11.7 K/9, 31.5% strikeout rate in 180 innings pitched
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It was originally believed that Snell would find a new home shortly after Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The expectation was that Snell would use that deal as a framework, negotiating with the teams that lost out on Yamamoto and signing with the highest bidder.
Instead, Snell remains a free agent with teams like the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and New York Yankees turning their attention elsewhere. One of the biggest reasons for that might be Snell’s contract demand, with Bob Nightengale of USA Today reporting that Snell wants at least $240 million to sign.
According to Nightengale, the Toronto Blue Jays are “monitoring” Snell with other undisclosed teams reportedly in the mix. The Yankees are believed to be out after signing Marcus Stroman and Snell is considered out of the Boston Red Sox price range.
Snell can at times be one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. However, he’s also gone through long stretches of inconsistency in the majors. After winning the 2018 AL Cy Young Award, Snell compiled a 4.06 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 285.2 innings from 2019-’21.
While he has been outstanding in the past two seasons, posting a 2.72 ERA in 318 innings pitched, Snell’s volatile command and his inability to consistently pitch deep into games is hurting his market. He will ultimately clear a $200 million contract, but he’ll need to be patient and hope someone caves at the current asking price.
