Blake Snell Short-Term Deal Incoming? Serious Questions Arise Amidst Scott Boras’ Cody Bellinger Compromise

While the Cody Bellinger deal has raised questions for the slugger, it could have a bigger impact on other stars as well. The surprising failure of Scott Boras to get Belli a long-term deal has led to serious doubts over the fate of his other client’s free agency. Out of them, it’s Blake Snell, who is seemingly on a road similar to Bellinger. 

It isn’t like something like this hasn’t ever happened before. The market has been slow many times in the past few years; however, the ineffectuality of Boras is news. With the teams finally getting a chance to do one over the super agent, Snell’s free agency is stuck in the crossfire. A short-term deal could be a possibility, but then there’s one huge difference between Belli and Snell.

Blake Snell looks on as the market around him tumbles

It’s quite surprising that, apart from the New York Yankees, no other team has given a considerable offer to Snell. The two-time Cy Young winner should, at least in theory, be flushed with suitors, but this offseason has been different. Big spenders like the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets are in saving mode. Others, like the Dodgers, have filled their teams without dealing with Scott Boras. Then comes Snell’s price.

The $200+ long-term deal expectations of Blake Snell have scared most teams off. So it isn’t surprising when Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic speculated that a deal similar to Cody Bellinger’s might be the future of all three of the remaining Boras clients. While one could make a case for Matt Chapman and Jordan Montgomery, it just doesn’t seem right for Snell.

Bellinger is still 28, and even if he plays for the entire three years in the Cubs, he’ll be 31—as old as Snell is now. And at 31, Snell is at a point where more years of his physical peak are behind him than ahead of him. No doubt we’ve seen pitchers excel in their 30s as well (points to Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Clayton Kershaw), but Snell’s a different case.

Read more: Stat Battle: Why Yankees Prefer Dylan Cease Over 2x Cy Young Winner Blake Snell

Even at his peak, Snell hasn’t ever been a long-inning pitcher. Apart from his Cy Young-winning years, he has never touched 130 innings. Now that’s something that could worry both the teams and Snell.

A long-term contract looks more attractive

For a starting pitcher to rarely go over six innings is absurd—that’s the sentiment Snell has been dealing with. Teams aren’t interested in investing a high number of years in a pitcher with dual tendencies; when Snell’s on, he’s the best in the league, but he tends to go missing occasionally. But that’s precisely why a long-term deal is a must for Snellzilla.

Read more: Blake Snell Key to Yankees’ World Series Hopes? Bronx Buzz Grows Despite Closed Talks

A short-term deal would count as Snell betting on himself. That’s a massive risk to take, especially as he was meandering from 2019 to 2022 until a comeback in 2023. That explains the stubbornness of Snell and Boras regarding their price till now.