The Cubs offseason questions began to be answered when Cody Bellinger opted in on his contract for next season. The assurance of a power bat in the lineup means the club will likely focus on landing a big name starting pitcher from this year’s free agent pool. Rumor is spreading about the Cubs targeting Cy Young Winner and San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell.
Cubs Targeting Cy Young Winner
A Top-Five Free Agent
Snell was listed as the number 4 free agent by R.J. Anderson at CBS Sports behind Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Alex Bregman. This is despite Snell having a mixed season of highs and lows.
Injuries sidelined the 2023 NL Cy Young winner for most of the first half of the season. But he still managed to record the fourth-best ERA (3.12) and the second-best WHIP (1.05) of his career in 20 games with the Giants.
The 31-year-old Southpaw superstar has his detractors who say he lacks efficiency. Indeed, before this season, he had recorded just five outs after the seventh inning of his career. That changed on August 2 when he recorded a 114-pitch no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Ace in A Rotation Full of Aces
If the Cubs were to land Snell, he would undoubtedly become the team’s number-one starter. His two Cy Young seasons came six years apart in 2018 and 2023. His best season came in 2018 when he went 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, and 221 strikeouts with the Tampa Bay Rays.
He had a career-best 234 strikeouts in 180 innings with the San Diego Padres in 2023, and his career total for strikeouts stands at 1368. Landing Snell in their rotation beside lefty Justin Steele and righty Shota Imanaga would give the Cubs three aces in hand going into 2025.
Part of the “Boras Four”
Snell is part of the so-called “Boras Four,” which refers to four players (along with Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and Jordan Montgomery) represented by agent Scott Boras. Boras’ ties to Bellinger raises the likelihood that conversations around a possible Snell signing have taken place.
The 2024 campaign ended badly, with Snell sidelined by a left adductor (hip) strain and a groin injury through the midway point. After rejoining the Giants in July, he put up a 5-3 record with 145 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched.
A Potential $30M Signing
Snell and Boras hope his long track record of success in getting batters to swing and miss will finally land him a long-term contract. Snell’s market value currently stands at around $30M. No doubt that’s the number the six-foot four-inch 225-pound strikeout machine had in mind when he opted out of his contract with the Giants for 2025. That would’ve paid Snell $30M but deferred $15M of that figure until July 1, 2027.
The number Snell is seeking is well within market range and within the range of Cubs owner Tom Ricketts should he open his wallet. Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, signaled that the team would be more aggressive this offseason. Cubs targeting Cy Young winner Blake Snell would put an exclamation point on that statement.
Main Photo Credits: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
