Former Padre Blake Snell’s Instagram post seems to point to him signing very soon

The San Diego Padres' roster was gutted this offseason and anyone arguing otherwise is trying to sell something. Yes, there are still really good players on the Padres' roster, but losing the likes of Juan Soto, Blake Snell, Josh Hader, Trent Grisham, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha all in one offseason is brutal no matter how one tries to slice things.

Of that entire group, only Snell remains without a job late into spring training despite being the reigning NL Cy Young winner. Snell started the offseason in search of a big long-term deal coming off one of the best campaigns of his career, but was unable to find a team willing to match his asking price.

Now, Snell is reportedly willing to take a short-term deal at a high AAV with opt outs similar to what other Boras clients have had to pivot to this offseason which has seemingly reinvigorated his market. More recently, Snell decided to tease everyone on Instagram with eye emojis, which may mean we could see where he ends up very soon.

Padres Rumors: Could Blake Snell's latest IG post mean his free agency is winding down?

For all we know, Snell was referencing something else entirely to watch out for, or he just felt like trolling fans and stirring things up for funsies. However, it is undoubtedly true that the 2024 season is coming up fast, and if Snell wants to pitch the entire season, he is going to have to sign somewhere soon.

At the moment, it appears as though the Angels are seen as the favorite to land him, although that is going to require Angels owner Arte Moreno to actually give real money to a pitcher. The Yankees could re-enter the bidding now that Gerrit Cole is having arm trouble. The Giants and Phillies could swoop in and nab him as well if the price is right since they both have money and are motivated heading into 2024.

With a little over a couple weeks left before the start of the season, we will know soon enough what Snell's plans are. There is still a chance that he continues to hold out for a deal to his liking into the regular season (his agent is Scott Boras, after all), although his Instagram does strongly suggest that a decision might be imminent.

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