Blake Snell free agent rumors: Best fit for two-time Cy Young winner

Blake Snell is a free agent again and the two-time Cy Young winner is available to the highest bidder for the second time in nine months.

Snell opted out of the contract he signed with the San Francisco Giants just weeks before Opening Day, ending the season on an absolute tear after a rocky start with his new team, throwing a no-hitter along the way.

Snell is back on the market and is widely expected to finally get the kind of multi-year deal that never materialized for the lefty last winter.

Here’s a look at some of the best fits for Snell — who turns 32 in December — including two possible reunions:

San Francisco giants

They won’t (ever?) get a big free agent hitter to play at Oracle Park, so the Giants might as well just keep chasing the best pitchers. Snell fell into their fold last spring and came into shape as the season progressed, going 10-2 with a 1.35 ERA in his last 16 starts, ultimately resulting in his opt-out. The fame is there, so why not just bring it back?

Los Angeles Dodgers

Why not? Shohei Ohtani deferred 97% of his $700 million deal for this reason, giving the Dodgers financial flexibility to recruit the best free agents. There are certainly some variables here (will they sign Roki Sasaki?), but the two-time Cy Young winner would fit right into a Dodgers rotation that has major injury concerns surrounding Tyler Glasnow and Ohtani returning from a second Tommy John surgery . as the possible departure of Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty.

New York Mets

The NL runners-up are in desperate need of pitching with Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana all free agents, and owner Steve Cohen is expected to do some shopping at the top of this year’s class. Despite his two Cy Young awards, Snell would be a nice addition for the Mets, who are trying to build something sustainable and might prefer Burnes’ consistency if they go for an ace.

San Diego Padres

Should all parties just reverse it? Snell had a 3.15 ERA in three seasons with the Padres after a trade from the Rays, winning the 2023 Cy Young Award in his final year with San Diego. With Joe Musgrove out for the year after Tommy John surgery, the Padres should likely add a starter at the next level. But the kind of long-term deal Snell desires may not be something San Diego wants to get involved in — just like last winter.

Angels from Los Angeles

The Angels kicked off the 2024-2025 season with some smaller moves, a trade for Jorge Soler and the addition of free agents Kyle Hendricks and Travis d’Arnaud in the weeks following the World Series. These trades don’t necessarily indicate that Arte Moreno’s club will spend a lot of money to improve one of the worst teams in baseball, but they can’t be counted out when you look at their flirtation with Snell last winter.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Blake Snell free agent rumors: Best fit for two-time MLB Cy Young winner