Mets Named Potential Landing Spot for 2-Time Cy Young Winner

Getty Blake Snell

The New York Mets have never been closely linked to Blake Snell, but that may not make a difference once the hot stove turns on.

New York was, as Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer points out, on the periphery of the Snell sweepstakes both last offseason when he was a free agent and at the trade deadline when the San Francisco Giants considered moving him.

Rymer published a story on Tuesday, August 20, counting down the 10 teams most likely to land Snell’s services if the two-time Cy Young winner ends up a free agent this winter.

Snell is in the first year of a two-year, $62 million pact with the Giants, but has an opt-out clause that USA Today’s Bob Nightengale says he will exercise.

The Padres topped Rymer’s list of likely destinations, which makes sense. Snell pitched in San Diego for three seasons, winning a Cy Young and ERA crown with them in 2023. But Rymer lists the Mets second and makes a good case for Snell to head east.

“Like the Dodgers, the Mets could use a pitcher like Snell right now,” Rymer wrote. “It would be a reach to say they’re contending despite their rotation, but it hasn’t been a strength. And because of Kodai Senga’s absences, it hasn’t had a proper No. 1 all year.”

How Blake Snell Would Fit with the Mets

Any of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball could benefit from adding Snell, so let’s not pretend the Mets are some special case.

But the team needs an ace. Senga was supposed to be that guy this season, but he has thrown a grand total of 5.1 innings in 2024 after an All-Star first season with the Mets. He could turn into the front-end pitcher the Mets saw in 2023, but that’s far from certain.

Jose Quintana and Luis Severino are both free agents at the end of the year, so the Mets need additional depth. Those two represent $26 million coming off the books, though with how willing Steve Cohen is to spend, it’s almost useless talking about whether Snell would fit in their budget.

“Affording him shouldn’t be an issue,” Rymer wrote. “It can’t be emphasized enough just how rich Steve Cohen is, and the amount of money the Mets have set to come free is staggering. If they wanted, they could likely add Snell and re-sign his fellow Boras client, Pete Alonso.”

The Mets this year are middle-of-the-pack in the National League with the eighth-best starter’s ERA (4.17). They’re also ninth in strikeouts with 597 as of August 20. Not bad, but clearly a step behind their offense. The Mets’ bats rank in the top six in the league in almost every major statistical category.

An ace like Snell could make the Mets elite all-around, at least once every five days.

Juan Soto: That Other Mets Free Agent Target

Pete Alonso is widely expected to return to the Mets next year, and there’s no reason to think they won’t chase the other big slugger on the market, Juan Soto.

Soto will listen to offers. He has said he enjoys playing for the Yankees and the Yankees will make him their priority in the offseason. That shouldn’t stop their crosstown foes from trying.

Is it conceivable that the Mets could land both Soto and Snell? Sure. Again, Cohen didn’t suddenly lose his wallet.

But the Mets would need to figure out who to prioritize. Soto is a generational talent still early in his prime at 25 years old. Snell, however, fills a bigger need. If the Mets are serious about chasing a World Series, they need more from their rotation.

Snell could be the guy. If he does not opt out of his contract, Snell will earn $30 million next year, so any team hoping for his services will probably need to go north of that. Francisco Lindor currently makes a team-high $34.1 million, so if the Mets sign Snell, the two of them could take up more than a quarter of the Mets’ luxury tax percentage by themselves. Throw in Soto and it starts to get outrageous.