Getty Starting pitcher Blake Snell is still on the free-agent market. Could the Los Angeles Angels be where he ultimately ends up?
Starting pitcher and two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell hasn’t had the most active trip into MLB‘s free-agent market. The calendar has flipped to February and the Scott Boras client remains unsigned. Could the Los Angeles Angels end up being where the left-handed hurler lands?
On February 2, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter shared fresh predictions on where the remaining top free agents would land ahead of the 2024 regular season. Snell, who won the 2023 National League Cy Young with the San Diego Padres, is the best-remaining starter on the open market. Reuter is predicting that the Angels will ultimately reel him in.
Los Angeles has been connected to the hurler for quite some time now. On December 21, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle was the first to report a link between these two sides. “According to one industry source, the Angels have made Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, their priority after losing AL MVP Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers in free agency,” she said.
Angels Currently Viewed as ‘Unlikely’ Landing Spot for Snell
The only official contract offer Snell has received so far this winter came from the New York Yankees. It was a six-year, $150 million proposal that was quickly rejected. Boras and Co. countered with nine years and $270 million, which led the Yankees and San Francisco Giants to pivot elsewhere for rotation help.
It’s unknown if Snell’s camp has eased on the initial asking price from earlier in the winter. During a January 30 edition of The Baseball Insiders Podcast, FanSided’s Robert Murray shared thoughts on the Angels possibly landing a top free agent like Snell before the offseason is over.
“It all depends on how Arte Moreno wakes up that day. He’s as unpredictable as they come. But as of right now, a big move is unlikely,” Murray said. “I think they continue to still add to that roster for sure. I just don’t expect it to be a big move. Maybe like a J.D. Martinez type is possible. Maybe. I don’t know. But like a Blake Snell or Cody Bellinger I think at least at this point is unlikely.”
Los Angeles isn’t the only American League West team linked to Snell. The Seattle Mariners are also within this group. However, it’s worth noting they’ve recently had chats with the Chicago White Sox about trading for right-handed hurler Dylan Cease.
A Look at L.A.’s Rotation & Its Projected 2024 Production
The Angels were initially linked to Snell because they could greatly benefit from adding a top-tier hurler to their starting rotation. FanGraphs’ Roster Resource has the club’s Opening Day starting five including Reid Detmers, Griffin Canning, Patrick Sandoval, Tyler Anderson and Chase Silseth.
FanGraphs’ rotation depth-chart projections don’t paint a pretty picture for this group, either. The Angels are projected for 11.0 fWAR in 2024. That’s the seventh-lowest mark in baseball. When looking at L.A.’s other AL West opponents, only the Oakland Athletics (7.8) have a lower projection. The Mariners (14.2), Houston Astros (13.1) and Texas Rangers (11.5) are all above them.
One would imagine the Angels might get more seriously involved if Snell’s asking price drops. An unnamed executive told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on January 20 that a bidding war for the southpaw would start if his contract demands eased. It doesn’t appear as though that’s happened yet, but things can change quickly. That’s especially the case with spring training on the verge of getting underway.