The San Diego Padres acquired Blake Snell from Tampa Bay Rays in a highly successful business that brings four highly praised potential customers back to Tampa, according to reports. Athletic’s Dennis Lin first reported the details and said the business is awaiting physical examinations.
BREAKING: The Fathers have an agreement in place to acquire Blake Snell from the Rays, sources say @JCTSports, @Ken_Rosenthal and I. Luis Patiño, Francisco Mejía, Blake Hunt and Cole Wilcox would go to Tampa. Negotiation pending review of medical records.
– Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) December 28, 2020
Snell was last seen dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series before being pulled by Rays captain Kevin Cash in one of the most controversial management decisions in recent history.
He posted an ERA of 3.24 out of 50 entries in 11 games in 2020. The 28-year-old southpaw was even better in the postseason, pitching for an ERA of 3.03 in another 29 2/3 entries while the Rays earned their second AL flag before doubling for the Dodgers after Snell’s early departure in Game 6.
Fathers are going for this
The 2018 AL Cy Young winner now joins a team full of Padres stars aiming for the title race under GM AJ Preller.
Snell, who signed an extension before the 2019 season, has three years left in an eminently affordable deal. He is the second initial shot putter that Preller negotiated this year, after Mike Clevinger reached the negotiation deadline and fell injured. He demanded Tommy John’s surgery and will miss the 2021 season.
Snell will join emerging star Dinelson Lamet, who finished fourth in the poll for NL Cy Young in 2020, at the top of the San Diego spin. The program is anchored by superstars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.
The Fathers did the postseason for the first time since 2006, racing back to win the NL wild card series against the St. Louis Cardinals dramatically. Injuries decimated his team of pitchers and eventually left them at a disadvantage against the Dodgers in the NLDS.
Now they are going to try an entire season with even more proven weapons and are well prepared for a containment window.
Fathers Rotation 2021:
Snell
Lamet
Davies
Paddack
Gore / Lucchesi / Morejon / WeathersFathers Rotation 2022
Snell
Lamet
Clevinger
Paddack
Gore / Lucchesi / Morejon / WeathersWhich also means: San Diego can get even better by using its depth of rotation to do some other business.
– Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 28, 2020
Lightning reloads to defend pennant AL
The Rays continue their almost constant shuffling of parts. In return for sending their most recent bright and established star to San Diego, the Rays are welcoming four promising young players, led by potential rotating substitute Luis Patiño.
Leaving his appearance in the World Series, the Rays are now without two of their three dominant holders, having switched Snell and declined veteran Charlie Morton’s option, leaving him to sign with the Atlanta Braves.
Patiño, 21, had his first taste of the big leagues in 2020 and could contribute to the Tampa pitching team right away. Cole Wilcox, a six-foot-tall righty who was just recruited in June, is further from the majors, but he was already well rated on the Fathers’ stacked farm system.
Also returning to the Rays are two young catchers, Francisco Mejia and Blake Hunt. It is Mejia’s second box-office hit, a potential former player who is still only 25 years old. It was traded from Cleveland to San Diego in exchange for Brad Hand and reliever Adam Cimber in July 2018.
The Rays rehired catcher Mike Zunino for a one-year 2021 contract, but have time to play if Mejia gets it right.
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