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MLB’s season opener in South Korea is only 2 days away, yet Blake Snell still remains unemployed. The reigning NL Cy Young winner is one of the top names of this offseason’s free agency class, yet he finds himself without a club 10 days before Opening Day.
Snell is represented by Scott Boras, who has often been blamed for the prolonged free agency of many of his top clients. Cody Bellinger, who was reportedly expecting a long-term contract in the region of $200 million all winter, eventually settled for a three-year, $80 million deal to return to the Chicago Cubs.
Third baseman Matt Chapman, another Boras client, saw his free agency play out in a similar fashion. Reportedly seeking a deal in the region of $150 million, Chapman ended up signing a three-year, $54 million deal with the San Francisco Giants.
The Giants have now emerged as a potential landing spot for Blake Snell, adding more speculation to a free agency saga that fans can’t wait to see the end of.
Snell’s initial asking price, which was believed to be in the region of $270 million over nine years, have caused many teams to balk, including the Yankees. Since then, Snell and Boras have entertained the idea of a short-term deal with an AAV of $33 million, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The Astros have also shown interest, but like many other teams, seem reluctant to commit that kind of money on Snell. With Opening Day fast approaching, fans are growing frustrated, taking to X to express the same.
Will Blake Snell have a team by Opening Day?
With each passing day, it’s getting more and more unlikely that Blake Snell would land a deal that is worth anywhere close to his or agent Scott Boras’ initial expectations.
The Yankees, who were the team most interested in Snell after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, have shown little intention of going all out for the 31-year-old like they did for Yamamoto. That leaves Snell with very little leverage on the market.
Every team so far has balked at Blake Snell’s asking price. Now, he has to decide if he wants to go to a winning team, or a team that offers him the biggest contract. The Giants are in a rebuilding phase under new manager Bob Melvin - someone Snell knows very well from his days in San Diego.
The Astros, even though they may not offer the biggest deal, are serious postseason contenders. If Snell’s priority is to win, then the Astros might make the best landing spot out of all the options currently available to him.
Wherever he is headed, Snell would hope to have an answer by Opening Day.
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