The Red Sox are meeting with just about every high-profile free agent this offseason.
Juan Soto, Max Friend, Corbin Burnes and … Blake Snell?
Yep, Snell joined the list of premier free agents to meet with Boston, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, who reported the two-time Cy Young winner spent time with the club at some point this week.
Snell reportedly met with the Los Angeles Dodgers, per Rosenthal, and is expected to also meet with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. It’s expected the soon-to-be-32-year-old wants an earlier resolution in free agency than he had last offseason, as he didn’t sign with the San Francisco Giants until March 19.
“The Red Sox and Dodgers also are talking to Burnes and 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 overcame a slow start with the Giants and turned in a strong year in which he had a 3.12 ERA and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 20 starts. He opted out of his deal after one season in San Francisco, and, unlike Burnes and Fried, is not attached to a qualifying offer because the Padres gave him one last winter before he left for their division rival.
“Snell pitched in the (American League) 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.”
The Red Sox, given what we’ve recently heard from team president Sam Kennedy, could soon check off both those boxes.
