Blake Snell's disaster season with Giants showing Padres made right FA decision

Sometimes it's the deals you don't make that turn out to be the best ones. The San Diego Padres had a rather bizarre offseason. Juan Soto was traded to the New York Yankees, former closer Josh Hader signed the largest contract for a reliever in MLB history, and the Friars brought in Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox.

The Padres were active all offseason, but one player that never seemed to pique their interest was the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Blake Snell, who pitched in San Diego for the past three seasons, was one of the last major free agents to agree to a contract this offseason.

Snell lingered on the free agent market this winter, and there were times when re-signing the left-hander seemed like a wise move if the offer was right. But after seeing how poorly Snell has performed this season, the Friar faithful should be quite content that the lefty is now the San Francisco Giants problem.

Blake Snell's disaster season with Giants showing Padres made the right free agency decision

It's not every day that you see a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher languishing in free agency. But that's exactly where Snell found himself this offseason. It wasn't until mid-March that Snell finally signed a two-year, $62 million deal with the Giants. About now, San Fran is probably regretting their decision.

Snell's 2024 numbers are atrocious. While the left-hander has blamed his lack of spring training for his bad start, it's not as if it's outside the norm. After Snell's first Cy Young campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 saw him post a league-best 1.89 ERA, he promptly went 6-8 the following season with a 4.29 ERA and only pitched in 23 games.

Last year for San Diego, Snell was tops in earned run average once again. His 2.45 ERA led the NL, but the southpaw also allowed nearly 100 free passes in 180 innings pitched. This season in San Francisco, Snell is 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA and he's currently on the 15-day IL with a groin injury — his second trip to the IL.

Snell's name has even arisen in trade talks with the deadline a little less than two months away. But Snell's performance, coupled with injury and contract, make the former Padres' ace virtually untradeable.

This was certainly one of those instances when the Padres made the correct choice not to pursue one of their own free agents. The fact that an NL West rival is the one paying the price makes it all the more sweet for Pads fans.

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