Padres can reunite with former star and screw over the Giants in the process

Last offseason, then-San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell entered unrestricted free agency fresh off of winning the National League Cy Young award. Snell was looking for a multi-year contract that would pay him off for the next four or five years and he likely deserved it.

Snell had made 32 starts with a 2.25 ERA, 5.8 H/9, 11.7 K/9 and an incredible 187 ERA+. He was ridiculously dominant, but some of the advanced analytics pointed to it being more luck than the surface shows.

Snell ended up inking a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants that included a massive player option for 2025. After starting the 2024 season slow, Snell was the best pitcher in the game during the back half of the year which led to him declining his player option and re-entering free agency this winter.

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Padres linked to Blake Snell reunion that would screw over division rival Giants

Obviously, just about every team in the league would love to have Snell, but not every team can afford him.

MLB insider Mark Feinsand listed his top 25 free agents this winter with Snell landing at No. 3. When Feinsand listed the best three fits for Snell, he listed both the Padres and the Giants.

"Snell has already opted out of his contract with the Giants and is testing free agency for the second year in a row. He struggled to find the deal he wanted after winning his second career Cy Young Award," Feinsand wrote. "So the southpaw signed a two-year, $62 million contract with the Giants, then he went 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA in six starts during an injury-riddled first half of 2024. After returning on July 9, Snell went 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA in 14 starts, a run that will likely make him much more desirable than last offseason, when compensation was tied to his free agency."

San Francisco is going to be very aggressive in bringing their ace back, but the Padres could attempt to swoop in and steal their former ace back from a division rival.

Last winter, the Padres were on the wrong side of losing Blake Snell to a division rival. This winter, they could look to steal the southpaw right back.