Blake Snell is not wasting any time. The free-agent left-hander recently met with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.
It is possible Snell also met, or will meet, with the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and other clubs seeking a top-end starter. He surely wants an earlier resolution in free agency than he had last offseason, when he did not sign with the San Francisco Giants until March 19.
Snell, who turns 32 on Dec. 4, is older than the other top two starters on the market, lefty Max Fried, who turns 31 on Jan. 18, and righty Corbin Burnes, 30. But he also holds an advantage in the market as the only one of the three who is not saddled with a qualifying offer. Thus, the team that signs him will avoid losing at least one draft pick and potentially international bonus pool money as well.
The San Diego Padres hit Snell with a qualifying offer last offseason, making him ineligible to receive another. He ended up signing a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants, and after a second straight strong finish exercised his right to opt out after one year.
Much of the talk with the Red Sox this offseason has revolved around their courtship of Juan Soto, but a top-of-the-rotation starter is their bigger need, and a left-hander would better fit their all-right-handed rotation. Snell pitched in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2016 to ‘20, and officials with two of his former clubs, granted anonymity for their candor, said he would not be reluctant to pitch in the pressure-packed Boston market. Like most free agents, Snell wants to play for a winner and wants to get paid.
The World Series champion Dodgers also would be an attractive option, particularly if Snell, a Seattle-area native, wants to stay on the West Coast. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was running the Rays when Tampa Bay selected Snell 52nd overall in 2011.
The Dodgers made a late run at Snell before he signed with the Giants last spring and also showed interest in him at the trade deadline. He is perhaps more intriguing to them now than he was a year ago, when his expectations presumably were higher and draft-pick compensation was part of the equation.
Both the Red Sox and Dodgers also are talking to Burnes and Fried, covering their bases the way teams always do at this time of year. The Orioles, needing to replace Burnes at the front of their rotation, are exploring the top of the market with the blessing of their new ownership. At the moment, they appear more focused on Snell and possibly Fried, who is on vacation and will meet with clubs when he returns.
The Blue Jays, another team linked to Soto, also are pursuing all three pitchers, according to sources briefed on their conversations. The New York clubs cannot be ruled out of the market. And it goes without saying: Other teams likely are in the mix.
Dodgers keeping options open
The Dodgers’ decision to return Mookie Betts to the infield prompted immediate speculation about the team signing free-agent shortstop Willy Adames and trading second baseman Gavin Lux.
That, however, isn’t necessarily the team’s plan.
Friedman has long admired Adames, whom he acquired for the Rays at the 2014 trade deadline as part of a package for David Price. But Friedman rarely pays sticker price for elite talent, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto standing as a notable exception last offseason, in part because he was turning 25. Lest anyone forget, the Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman contracts all include significant deferrals.
Willy Adames is the top free-agent shortstop on the market, although he isn’t as obvious a fit for the Dodgers as it might seem. ( Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports)
With Ha-Seong Kim recovering from shoulder surgery, Adames is by far the top shortstop in this year’s market. The demand for him at 29 should be high, and recent free-agent shortstops such as Corey Seager, Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts commanded monster deals. While Adames might not be as coveted as those players were, he surely expects a significant contract. And the decline in his defensive metrics last season raises the possibility that he might not be at short for the duration of his agreement.
Lux, who turns 27 Friday, is a former first-round pick to whom the Dodgers remained loyal even as he struggled coming off major knee surgery in the first half of this past season. He responded with an .899 OPS after the All-Star break. His 2.0 fWAR in that period was equal to Matt Olson and Brent Rooker, and better than that of teammate Teoscar Hernández and free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. And Lux remains affordable, projecting to earn less than $3 million in arbitration.
Of course, if Lux remains the primary second baseman, then Betts likely will return to shortstop, with Tommy Edman in center and Miguel Rojas serving in a utility role. Betts was below-average defensively at short last season, but most of his issues stemmed from his throwing. His problem was not his arm, but getting his body in the right position to throw properly. With a full offseason and spring training, perhaps he could overcome that deficiency.
Another possibility is for the Dodgers to indeed trade Lux, play Betts at second, Edman at short and a combination of Andy Pages and James Outman in center. The bottom line is Friedman does not need to lock into Adames when his greater needs are in the outfield and rotation. Friedman relishes keeping his options open. And as usual, he has numerous ways he can go.
A’s up against it
The Athletics’ plan to improve through trades already is hitting a roadblock.
Most free agents only will want to play in a minor-league park in Sacramento, Calif., if they lack better options, so it made sense when general manager David Forst said at the GM meetings that he was more focused on trades. One rival executive, granted anonymity for his candor, said the A’s are the most sincere team he has spoken with, in terms of wanting to add. But here’s the problem: Virtually every team is seeking to upgrade its major-league roster. And the A’s, as they try to take a step forward, are reluctant to trade the few quality players they have.
Forst said at the meetings he would not move designated hitter Brent Rooker. Center fielder JJ Bleday falls into the same category, according to a source briefed on the team’s thinking. Perhaps the Athletics would deal Mason Miller — teams hardly ever make relievers off-limits. But the A’s would want a quality position player under long-term control in return. In May, I wrote that if the Padres wanted Miller, the A’s likely would ask for Jackson Merrill.
The A’s farm system is somewhat deep in outfielders — Henry Bolte, Colby Thomas and Denzel Clarke are among their top 10 prospects, according to MLB.com. But even if Forst was willing to move one or more of those players, the problem would be finding a taker. Most teams are looking for immediate help — the kind of help the A’s want, too.
Rays: To trade or not to trade?
The Rays, the other team that will spend the 2025 season in a minor-league park, possess a greater foundation of talent than the A’s. And while their revenue likely will decline while playing at the Yankees’ spring training facility instead of Tropicana Field, their selloff at the deadline put them in a more flexible position with their payroll.
Four players the Rays traded — Zach Eflin, Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes and Jason Adam — likely will earn more than $40 million combined in 2025. FanGraphs currently estimates the Rays’ payroll to be $85 million. It could go lower, if the Rays trade some combination of first baseman Yandy Díaz, second baseman Brandon Lowe and pitcher Zack Littell. It isn’t likely to be higher. The Rays will face the same challenges attracting free agents as the A’s.
The financial motivation to trade Lowe ($10.5 million), Díaz ($8 million) and/or Littell (projected $4.8 million in arbitration) isn’t as great as it was last offseason with Tyler Glasnow, who was set to earn $25 million. The Rays chose to keep Lowe and Díaz at the deadline, when teams were starved for offense. They could follow the same course this offseason, then reassess at the deadline, depending upon how the team is performing.
The same goes for Littell, even though the Rays currently have six other potential starters — Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs, plus Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz and Taj Bradley. Of course, that’s assuming all stay healthy. Littell, who as a starter the past two seasons has a 3.56 ERA in 227 2/3 innings, is valuable insurance, if not more.
The move to Steinbrenner Field, an outdoor facility in Tampa where frequent rain delays are likely, could prove a problem for the Rays’ pitchers, disrupting their routines. But it also figures to benefit their left-handed hitters such as Lowe, Jonathan Aranda and Josh Lowe. Tropicana Field was the most difficult park for left-handed hitters the past three seasons, ahead of only T-Mobile Park in Seattle, according to Statcast.
A free agent such as Joc Pederson actually would be perfect, not that the Rays stand much of a chance of getting him. More likely, they will continue to incorporate young players. Outfielder Chandler Simpson, who has 198 stolen bases in the minors the past two seasons and had an .807 OPS this year at High A and Double A, is one player to watch. Shortstop Carson Williams and first baseman Tre’ Morgan are two others.
And finally…
While rival executives say the Chicago Cubs want to trade first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger, they also note the difficulty the team likely will face pulling off such a move.
Bellinger, 29, secured a remaining guarantee of $32.5 million — $27.5 million in salary, $5 million in potential buyout — by choosing to remain with the Cubs rather than opt out. Execs often say there is no such thing as a bad one-year deal, but Bellinger wouldn’t necessarily be a one-year commitment; he can sacrifice the buyout and opt in for another $27.5 million in 2026.
The Bellinger of 2023, whose adjusted OPS was 39 percent above league average, was worth that kind of money, if not more. The Bellinger of ‘24 was still 11 percent above league average, but less impactful. He chose not to enter the free-agent market even though he loomed as a leading alternative among outfielders to Soto, along with Anthony Santander and Hernández.
The Yankees in the past have liked Bellinger, whose father Clay, pitched for them from 1999 to 2001. Bellinger presumably could be one of their options if they lose Soto and replace him with multiple players. But the $32.5 million Bellinger is guaranteed would mitigate the return in some fashion. The Cubs might need to take back an inflated contract, or accept marginal prospects in a deal.
(Top photo of Blake Snell: Brandon Sloter / Image Of Sport / Getty Images)