According to the latest reports, the Los Angeles Angels are supposedly the current front runners to land 2023 Cy Young award winner Blake Snell.
ESPN’s Buster Olney recently revealed “I’m hearing that Blake Snell’s preference — strong preference — is to go to the Angels. There’s been back-and-forth with that team. That’s where I think he’s going to land.”
The Giants, Phillies, Yankees and Angels have all been liked to Snell over the course of the offseason, with a few other clubs including the Red Sox who have checked in on him periodically. The 31 year old is alleged to have told his inner circle that his preference would be to play for a west coast team in 2024 and beyond.
Snell went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA, and 234 K’s across 180IP last season for the San Diego Padres. That resulted in his second career Cy Young Award after having previously captured the AL version with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018.
However, as super agent Scott Boras has openly lamented to anyone who would listen this winter, the market for Snell hasn’t reflected the perceived value that the lefty would bring to the table. As such, Snell remains unsigned well into spring training.
Reports indicate that Snell & Boras are seeking a massive multi-year contract in the neighbourhood of $200M. A figure which teams haven’t come close to offering up until this point.
Following the departure of Shohei Ohtani to the crosstown Dodgers, the Angels are most definitely in the market for a front of the rotation pitcher to take the Japanese superstar’s place. Snell, a Washington state native, checks off multiple boxes for a club that needs to prove to Mike Trout that they remain serious about competing moving forward.
With Major League Baseball’s official Opening Day date set for Thursday March 28th, time to iron out a deal ahead of the 2024 campaign is quickly coming to a close. While the situation remains fluid, it would appear for now that barring a godfather offer from an east coast club, that Snell could be joining the Halos sooner rather than later.
Photo: HerSilverHammer