Star free agent Blake Snell keen on Seattle Mariners move, per MLB analyst: "He'd love to sign with his hometown team"

Seattle-born Padres ace Blake Snell may be keen on joining his hometown team this offseason, per MLB analyst Bob Nightengale.

Snell opted out of the club and player options with the Padres to test the free agency market. He is among the top four starting pitchers available this offseason, alongside Aaron Nola, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani.

In view of that, Bob Nightengale was quoted as saying by USA Today:

"Free agent starter Blake Snell would love to sign with his hometown team, the Seattle Mariners, but they don’t have a need for starting pitching. The Philadelphia Phillies are the favorite to sign him while letting Aaron Nola walk away."

Snell is from Seattle, so it makes sense that he would want to sign with the M's. The Mariners are a strong team and have registered at least 88 wins in three straight seasons.

After an exceptional season in which he finished 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA and 234 strikeouts over 32 appearances, Snell is the clear favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award. He didn't give up a run in five of his previous six outings.

Snell's throwing run value and breaking run value were both in the 100th percentile. Opponents only managed to hit 079 against this curveball, .185 against his changeup, and .123 against his slider. The numbers speak for themselves as the ace pitcher targets a new home for 2024.

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Blake Snell may be hunted by the Phillies this offseason

Bob Nightengale made an important point about the Mariners not needing a starting pitcher this offseason. The Mariners have George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, Robbie Ray, and Marco Gonzales.

The Phillies, on the other hand, need an ace pitcher this offseason, as they will most likely be parting ways with Aaron Nola after he declined the club and player options to test free agency.