Blake Snell To Red Sox? Case For, Against Late-Offseason Splash

As the Boston Red Sox entered the offseason in dire need of starting pitching upgrades (and arms as a whole), three marquee free-agent starters stood out: Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell. In a topic that has been discussed all offseason, any of the three would have been notable additions for the Red Sox.

Nola almost immediately went off the board, re-signing with the Philadelphia Phillies on a seven-year deal.

As for the two southpaws, Montgomery and Snell remain on the open market with under a week until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. Montgomery’s durability and Boston re-location make sense for the Red Sox, though no reports have implied that a deal is imminent.

In the meantime, what about Snell?

Even as the 2023 NL Cy Young award-winner, his market has not materialized into a deal. Whether they sign him or not, the Red Sox, at the very least, have the opportunity to explore a legitimate starter who could boost the trajectory of the 2024 season in a challenging American League East.

THE CASE FOR
It goes without saying, but teams should always at least inquire about the chance to sign a multi-time Cy Young award-winner. The same goes for the Red Sox with Snell.

The lefty enters 2023 fresh off of a dominant season with the San Diego Padres, winning 14 games with a 2.25 ERA in 32 starts. Snell became the seventh pitcher in baseball history to win the Cy Young in both leagues, continuing to perform as one of the sport’s premier starters.

Opposing hitters don’t do a ton of damage against the left-hander, who allowed a league-best 5.6 hits per nine innings in 2023. Snell is also a consistent strikeout artist, tallying at least 11 strikeouts per nine innings in each of the last six seasons.

Considering his success, Snell may still be underrated in his performance, even after eight seasons.

Given the timing of the offseason and other interests, the Red Sox may have a scenario where Snell’s potential deal would be cheaper than at other pitching points of the offseason.

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THE CASE AGAINST
Even in his award-winning 2023 season, Snell did have eyebrow-raising numbers in some areas, including leading baseball in walks (99).

The important aspect to remember is that when assessing rotation additions, the Red Sox have to find starters that can eat innings, going deep into games and giving Boston a chance to win.

Snell has only pitched over 130 innings twice in his career, though he did tally 180 frames in each of those years. That’s the durability Boston has to have. It comes down to whether Snell is ready to build on that length on the other side of his age-30 season.

THE VERDICT
The pros definitely outweigh the cons when assessing Snell’s potential fit in Boston. With the chance to post another durable season, Snell provides ace-level production when he is on and would instantly be the No. 1 in the Red Sox rotation to set up the likes of Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello.

If the Red Sox feel the price is right, the move is there, as it has been all offseason.