Why Is 2X Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Still a Free Agent, Despite a Desperate Pitching Market?

In an offseason filled with blockbuster deals, there is one name that hasn’t inspired much interest from teams. That man is the Cy Young award-winner Blake Snell. After a season that saw Snell come back to his best after a few years in the wilderness, it hasn’t had much impact in increasing his demand this offseason. Is it his inconsistent form putting teams off?

Most believed that until Yoshinobu Yamamoto was still in the market, pitchers like Snell and Jordan Montgomery wouldn’t have many takers. But things haven’t changed much for Snell even after Yamamoto’s deal. Will his free agency pick up soon or are there bigger reasons for the ace’s lack of demand?

Blake Snell – An inconsistent Maestro

Blake Snell is a rather curious case study. For an ace who has won two Cy Young awards, he’s a rather inconsistent pitcher. He won his first award in 2018 and followed that up with four years of below-average to average production. Snell was never even close to his 2018 levels due to injuries or his loss of form. This makes him a risky bet for any team.

There’s no guarantee that he will follow up an award-winning season with an equally good one. While inconsistency is a major factor, another big issue is the low number of innings Snell pitches. His total has crossed 130 innings only twice in his career – in 2018 and 2023. His best otherwise? 129 ⅓ innings.

For a starting pitcher, these are meager numbers. One consistent theme throughout Snell’s career has been him getting pulled before the hitters’ third round. This could be due to his high walk rate. In 2023, the 31-year-old gave up a league-high 99 walks! Perhaps that’s why managers choose to pull him before things take a bad turn.

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But all of this cannot deny that Snell is a two-time Cy Young Award winner. Only 22 pitchers have done that in the history of MLB. There must be somewhere that he can fit in, right? Especially now with the market wide open.

Is Snellzilla about to roar back into the market?

One thing we know is that there is always a demand for a powerful arm with experience in the majors. Even after all of his issues, when Snell is on form he’s as good as any pitcher in the league. And now with Yamamoto officially out, the market is free for Snellzilla to go on a hunting spree.

With links already set with the Los Angeles Angels, things have been set in motion for Snell. The San Francisco Giants are said to be going all in on him. Hopefully, more teams will follow soon, because the league is too starved of quality pitchers to just write off the incumbent Cy Young winner!

Read more: With Super Agent Scott Boras Behind Him, Will Blake Snell Topple Aaron Nola’s $172M Mark?