Blake Snell Update: Angels engage in dialogue with reigning NL Cy Young winner as pitching market heats up

The Los Angeles Angels have emerged as a potential landing spot for Blake Snell. The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner remains one of the top starting pitchers on the open market, and it appears that his name is one that is heating up in the rumor mill.

According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Los Angeles Angels could look to Blake Snell as a replacement for Shohei Ohtani in their pitching rotation. The 29-year-old is coming off one of the best seasons of his MLB career and could become a crucial piece of the Angels plans moving forward if they can land him.

"Source: The Angels have had recent dialogue with Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Of note: Since the Angels aren't viewed as a strong candidate to sign Yamamoto, they don't need to wait on Yamamoto's choice to act in the pitching market. @MLB @MLBNetwork" - @jonmorosi

While a number of teams appear to waiting on the decision of Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto's free agency, Morosi believes that the Los Angeles Angels are not one of them. Morosi believes that they are not a legitimate contender to land Yamamoto, which could work to their advantage when it comes to Snell.

That being said, there are a number of teams interested in signing the two-time Cy Young Award winner this offseason. After losing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani to the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency, the Angels have glaring holes on both sides of the ball, something that Snell could help address from a pitching standpoint.

The Angels will need to outbid a number of teams to land Blake Snell

Even though teams may be waiting for Yamamoto's decision, many of those contenders have also been linked to Snell. This means that the Angels will still face stiff competition from teams such as the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and Boston Red Sox in the race for the man they call Snellzilla.

"The San Francisco Giants are the leaders to sign Blake Snell in free agency, per Bob Nightengale. Snell may not sign with a new team until fellow free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto finalizes his own deal. #SFGiants #SFG #MLB" - @report_sfgiants