Orioles offseason wish list: Blake Snell
The two-time Cy Young winner is back on the free agent market for the second straight year, and this time the Orioles might be a bidder.
For the rest of 2024, Camden Chat staff will be profiling assorted free agents, trade targets, and other potential offseason moves that could address needs for next year’s roster.
If Corbin Burnes leaves the Orioles this offseason, they’ll face the unenviable task of needing to replace a former Cy Young winner. So…how about a two-time Cy Young winner?
For the second straight year, Blake Snell is sitting on the free agent market. Last offseason there was never any chance of the Orioles signing him. Snell received (and rejected) a qualifying offer from the Padres, meaning that whichever team signed him would lose a draft pick. Snell’s agent, Scott Boras, reportedly was looking for a $200 million commitment after the lefty’s Cy Young season with San Diego. The Orioles, in the midst of an ownership change, weren’t willing to spend that kind of money for Snell…and as it turned out, neither was anybody else. Snell languished in free agency until spring training, then settled for a two-year deal with the Giants with an opt-out after year one, which he ultimately exercised.
This time around, it’s not crazy to believe the Orioles could be in the mix to sign him. Snell isn’t burdened by a qualifying offer (which free agents can’t receive more than once in their career), so signing him won’t sacrifice a draft pick. And — most importantly — the O’s have a new ownership team in place. David Rubenstein has implied he’ll be willing to open the wallet for big-name expenditures, something the John Angelos-led Orioles never did.
