It turns out the Red Sox’ well-publicized meeting with Juan Soto last week in California wasn’t their only sit-down with a top free agent so far this offseason.
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Boston has also met with left-handed starter Blake Snell, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, who reported Thursday that Snell has also met with the Dodgers and could also meet with the Orioles, Blue Jays and other teams looking to sign him. It’s unclear when the Sox’ meeting with Snell, a Scott Boras client like Soto, happened or whether it was completed during the same west coast trip that Tom Werner, Sam Kennedy, Craig Breslow and Alex Cora took last week. Snell, like virtually every top free agent, appears to be in the early stages of his free agent process. And he’s unsurprisingly not the only top arm the Red Sox are in contact with.
“Both the Red Sox and Dodgers also are talking to (Corbin) Burnes and (Max) Fried, covering their bases the way teams always do at this time of year,” Rosenthal added. “The Orioles, needing to replace Burnes at the front of their rotation, are exploring the top of the market with the blessing of their new ownership. At the moment, they appear more focused on Snell and possibly Fried, who is on vacation and will meet with clubs when he returns.”
Snell, who overcame a slow start with the Giants to turn in a strong season in which he logged a 3.12 ERA and 12.5 K/9 rate in 20 starts, opted out of his deal after one season in San Francisco. He, unlike Burnes and Fried, is not attached to a qualifying offer because the Padres gave him one last winter before he signed with the Giants. As Rosenthal notes, Snell is taking a more proactive approach to his free agent process this year after it took until mid-March for him to get a deal (then a two-year, $62 million deal with a first-year opt-out).
Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner (AL in 2018, NL in 2023), turns 32 at the beginning of December. Like Fried and top trade candidate Garrett Crochet of the White Sox, he would provide a top lefty in a rotation that is slated to include righties Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito with Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts serving as top depth options. The Red Sox don’t have much in the way of left-handed rotation options in the majors or upper minors.
According to Rosenthal, Snell, who spent the first eight years of his career in Tampa Bay and San Diego, would welcome the opportunity to pitch in a big market.
“Snell pitched in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2016 to ‘20, and officials with two of his former clubs, granted anonymity for their candor, said he would not be reluctant to pitch in the pressure-packed Boston market,” Rosenthal wrote. “Like most free agents, Snell wants to play for a winner and wants to get paid.”
Less than a month into the offseason, it’s clear the Red Sox are expressing interest in the top players available on both the free agent trade markets. The meetings with Soto, Snell and potentially others signal potential aggressiveness, though no free agent has signed for more than $12 million so far. The Red Sox continue to talk a big game as well, including on Wednesday when Kennedy told The Boston Globe that their intention is to spend, perhaps past the first competitive balance tax threshold of $241 million.
“Even if it takes us over the CBT,” Kennedy said. “Our priority is 90 to 95 wins, and winning the American League East, and winning the division for multiple years … We are investing more than we did last year. We intend to invest going forward.
“There is an extreme urgency internally to be competing for the American League East Championship and to set ourselves up for a deep postseason run in 2025 without question. The goal is to win 90 plus games to not be worrying about a wild-card spot.”
