MLB Rumors: Where things stand with Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell

MLB Rumors: Latest free agency update on Blake Snell

Blake Snell is the reigning National League Cy Young winner — the second time he has earned the prestigious honor. Despite his strong résumé and undeniably elite stuff, however, Snell's market remained mostly quiet while Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto captivated contenders across the continent.

Now that Ohtani and Yamamoto are both posted in L.A., however, expect Snell to start gaining traction with teams in need of pitchers. In his latest free agency roundup, ESPN's Jeff Passan connected Snell to a few teams.

He notes, perhaps first and foremost, the San Francisco Giants. Fresh off firing Gabe Kapler in favor of long-time manager Bob Melvin, the Giants face a steep talent deficit in the NL West. The Jung Hoo Lee signing helps, but it's uncertain how quickly his bat will translate to the MLB. On the pitching front, San Francisco has a couple strong arms — primarily Logan Webb and Alex Cobb — but lacks a true No. 1 ace of Snell's ilk. He would immediately operate as the opening day starter and could serve as a launchpad for the Giants' postseason aspirations.

Also mentioned are the Los Angeles Angels, who freed up a lot of payroll by not winning the Ohtani sweepstakes. The Angels need another ace to replace Ohtani. Plus, while the last six years haven't gone to plan, the Angels are still paying Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon — a lot. It's important to at least try to compete while those guys are around.

The Boston Red Sox have been oft-cited as a potential Snell destination since last season, when Pedro Martinez publicly offered to work hand-in-hand with the prodigious southpaw. After trading Chris Sale to Atlanta, Snell only makes more sense for a Boston team in need of an ace to pair with Brayan Bello atop the rotation.