Steve Webb
The National League West has seen its first monster signing of this offseason. 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell has been traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the San Diego Padres. According to multiple online sources, the deal sends Snell to the Friars for four prospects: Luis Patiño, Francisco Mejía, Blake Hunt and Cole Wilcox. This move strengthens an already strong San Diego corps of starters. The 2021 rotation down south figures to headline some combination of Snell, Dinelson Lamet, Zach Davies, and Chris Paddack, with a fifth spot up for grabs amongst prospects MacKenzie Gore, Joey Lucchesi, Adrian Morejon, and Ryan Weathers. In addition, last year’s late season pickup Mike Clevinger will be coming back in 2022 after spending all of next season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
On its face, it’s a smart move for San Diego. The team is obviously in “win-now” mode. Snell comes from a ballclub and a culture that knows how to win. His numbers last year were solid, if not spectacular. His 3.24 ERA was something of a bounce-back year after a disappointing 2019.
However, as Dodger fans know all too well, Snell was looking like his old Cy-Young-winning self during the 2020 World Series. He gave up only four hits over two starts in the fall classic, and if not for some questionable managing by Kevin Cash, might have forced a Game 7 the way he was pitching. Clearly, the look on Snell’s face as he exited the mound suggested that he was, shall we say, less than enthusiastic about the decision. To think of Cash managing Snell again next year was something that must have figured in the trade calculations. But now, the thought of having this guy shipped to an up-and-coming divisional rival is not the best news Dodger fans could have woken up to this morning.
The question now becomes “What do the Dodgers do about it?” One could make the argument for just standing pat. After all, the Dodgers had the best team ERA in baseball in 2020, at 3.11. Plus, the team will be adding a former Cy Young winner of its own to the rotation with the return of David Price to the lineup. Clearly, no matter what the Dodgers do or don’t do this winter, they will be a formidable pitching staff going into 2021. However, there are some tantalizing possibilities of adding another starter. The Cubs have been waving Yu Darvish around as trade bait. Plus, speaking of Cy Youngs, there’s Trevor Bauer out there flirting with every team in sight. Either of those pitchers would make an already scary Dodgers rotation truly horrifying for opponents. However, the argument could also be made that what the Dodgers really need is a lock-down closer (sorry, Kenley) and team resources would be better spent on the bullpen.
Whatever the Dodgers decide to do, clearly this Snell signing indicates that the San Diego Padres have a division title in their sights for next season, if not more. The Dodgers had best take that threat seriously.
