Last offseason, Blake Snell’s free agency contract negotiations went horribly. Snell was looking for a long-term deal but landed on a short-term deal with opt-outs. After one year with the San Francisco Giants, Snell has opted out of his contract and entered free agency again.
This time, Snell should land a deal of three years or longer, especially after his incredible second half of the 2024 season. Spotrac projects Snell to land a five-year, $131 million contract this winter.
Nick Villano of FanSided doesn’t expect this massive contract to be with the Giants though. Instead, Villano projects Snell will sign with the Toronto Blue Jays in the loaded American League East.
Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images
“It’s so hard to tell what the Toronto Blue Jays are trying to accomplish this offseason, but upgrading pitching seems like a pretty clear directive. We’ve heard rumors that Blake Snell’s familiarity with the American League East from his time with the Tampa Bay Rays has always intrigued the other teams in that division,” Villano wrote. “We talked about the Yankees interest last offseason, and the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles have reportedly shown interest this offseason. However, it’ll be the Blue Jays who win the bidding war.”
Villano is correct when discussing Toronto’s need for pitching. Snell could very well be the perfect option too. He has the potential to be the best pitcher in baseball at any given time and the Blue Jays need star pitchers to keep up in the loaded AL East.
If Toronto misses out on Juan Soto, expect to see the front office prioritize Snell in their backup plan.
More MLB: Mets Linked To $200 Million Infielder As ‘Perfect Transaction,’ Per Insider
