The Tampa Bay Rays are moving from another key piece of the team that made the World Series last season. According to multiple reports, the Rays are close to trading ace pitcher Blake Snell to the San Diego Padres.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Padres agreed to pay a steep price for Snell, sending pitching prospects Luis Patino and Cole Wilcox and catchers Francisco Mejia and Blake Hunt to Tampa Bay.
The deal is expected to be official once all the players go through medical reviews.
Padres have been aggressive in acquiring a star pitcher this offseason, exploring deals for Chicago Cubs’ All-MLB right-hander Yu Darvish and Cincinnati Reds’ All-Star Sonny Gray. However, their focus turned to Snell once it became clear that the Rays were willing to deal him.
Snell made his MLB debut in 2016 and has a 42–30 career record with 3.24 ERA and 648 strikeouts. He is a one-time All-Star and has won an AL Cy Young Award back in 2018.
With Snell as a headliner now, Padres are set to have a strong rotation that also includes Dinelson Lamet, Zach Davies, and Chris Paddack.
While losing a star starting pitcher is never easy, the Rays can be happy with the return for Snell.
Patino headlines the haul, being considered one of the most promising pitching talents in recent years. In his three seasons in minors, he had a 16-13 record with 2.35 ERA and 279 strikeouts.
Mejia is also a good pickup, being a powerful switch-hitter that can contribute right away, while Wilcox and Hunt might be starting-caliber players if they continue to develop.
