MLB Rumors: 5 teams who must pony up for Blake Snell with market thinning

Since the calendar flipped to the New Year the MLB Hot Stove has been burning up with several free agents finally coming off the board. While many big names remain, we've seen several good players, particularly on the starting pitching market, pick their new teams.

Just in the last week, we've seen Shota Imanaga sign with the Cubs, Marcus Stroman go to the Yankees, and the Giants shock everyone by signing Jordan Hicks to be a starting pitcher. Starting pitching is in high demand, but two aces remain in Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.

The latter appears to want to return back to the Rangers, and who can blame him after just winning the World Series? Snell, on the other hand, is anyone's best guess. We know he won't be returning to the San Diego Padres, but he can be an impactful signing for any of these five teams.

5. The Angels eventually have to sign somebody, and Blake Snell could be the answer

The Los Angeles Angels lost Shohei Ohtani to their crosstown rivals and have done absolutely nothing to respond. They've signed four pitchers to cheap one-year deals, but have done nothing to elevate the ceiling of a team that won just 73 games with Ohtani.

Now, for those who say the Angels should be rebuilding, that's not going to happen. It hasn't happened in the Arte Moreno era, and won't be happening now. Since the Angels won't sell off pieces to give them an opportunity to win in the future, they should be trying to get at least a little bit better now. One way to do that would be by signing Snell to improve what was a subpar rotation in 2023 even with Ohtani.

Snell is a pitcher who comes with his deficiencies but would be far and away the best arm in this Angels rotation. The Angels are a team that really needs a frontline starter, and with one of the worst farm systems in the majors, this is a way they can get one.