Blake Snell Rumors: Astros seeking short-term contract similar to Cody Bellinger for ace pitcher, per insider

Blake Snell turned down a $20 million option from the San Diego Padres last year and decided to become a free agent. The reigning Cy Young winner immediately became a highly sought-after player for teams who require an ace.

Snell has piqued the interest of teams such as the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels and Houston Astros, but no official news has come out of their front offices yet.

According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Astros are interested in a short-term deal with a high annual average salary.

“The #Astros interest in Snell is a shorter team deal with high AAV with the same type blueprint as the Boras Corporation did with Bellinger. #Giants #Angels #Yankees have also been linked to him at different times this offseason. They are not interested in a Nola-type contract,” Bowden tweeted.

In February, Cody Bellinger, another of Boras' clients, signed with the Chicago Cubs for a three-year, $80 million contract that includes opt-out options after each season. Bowden suggests that the Astros are willing to draft a similar contract for Snell.

Snell previously rejected the New York Yankees' $150 million contract for six years in January, and according to Bob Nightengale, he countered this with a $270 million offer for a nine-year deal.

Why are teams avoiding long-term deals for Blake Snell?

Blake Snell undoubtedly will become a headline signing for the team he decides to join. Snell has already been crowned the Cy Young winner twice, along with two ERA titles and an All-Star nod.

In 2023, he pitched for 180 innings with an ERA of 2.25 and 234 strikeouts in 32 games.

However, since Snell rejected a qualifying offer, any team that signs him will be unable to pick a draft this year. As a result, many teams are considering offering a short-term deal to save money and acquire young talents in the upcoming year.

“Blake Snell got a qualifying offer, rejected a qualifying offer, so he has a draft pick attached to him. If you give him a one-year opt-out, and you lose a draft pick,” Ken Rosenthal said on Foul Territory last month.

“And then at the end of the season, he opts out, you can't get a draft pick back because the guy can't get a second qualifying offer.

While waiting for an offer, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported that Blake Snell threw a 60-pitch mock session on Friday.