The veteran free agency negotiations last offseason were a disaster. He sought a long-term contract but ended up settling for a short-term deal with opt-outs. After one season with the San Francisco Giants, Snell has exercised his opt-out and is back on the free-agent market. This time, he is expected to secure a deal of at least three years, particularly after his stellar second half in the 2024 season. Spotrac forecasts that Snell will land a five-year, $131 million contract this winter. However, Nick Villano of FanSided doesn’t anticipate that this major contract will come from the Giants. Instead, Villano predicts Snell will sign with the Toronto Blue Jays in the competitive American League East.
“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 makes a valid point about Toronto’s need for pitching, and Snell could indeed be the ideal fit. He has the ability to be the best pitcher in baseball at any moment, and the Blue Jays need elite arms to compete in the tough AL East. If Toronto fails to land Juan Soto, it’s likely that the front office will shift their focus to prioritizing Snell as part of their backup plan.
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