After missing the postseason for the fourth straight year, the Chicago Cubs have an important offseason ahead. Could president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer upgrade the top of Chicago's starting rotation by signing Blake Snell via free agency?
Snell just wrapped up the first season of a two-year, $62 million deal he signed last March with the San Francisco Giants. His contract includes an opt-out clause he can trigger to re-enter free agency this winter. The southpaw is expected to do that after failing to get the big payday he was searching for last year.
CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson has ranked Snell as his fourth-best impending free agent. He listed the Cubs among three potential landing spots for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Chicago was mentioned alongside the Giants and New York Mets.
After signing about a week before 2024 Opening Day, Snell's Giants debut was delayed until April 8. His first six starts resulted in a 9.51 ERA in 23.2 innings. He turned things around after spending about a month on the injured list recovering from a groin strain. Snell posted a 1.23 ERA with 114 strikeouts over his final 80.1 innings of the season.
The southpaw won his second Cy Young Award with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He hit free agency initially looking for a contract in the vicinity of $270 million, which never came to fruition. If he decides to test the open market again, his asking price will likely be a lot lower. Spotrac projects Snell's market value at five years and $131 million.
