Snell’s next stop? Dodgers hold meeting with star pitcher
The Los Angeles Dodgers are among the reported teams that have met with Juan Soto, but they also are said to be in search of a top starting pitcher.
That portion of the market is headlined by the likes of Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. Roki Sasaki is also expected to be posted by the Chiba Lotte Marines, but won’t sign until the 2025 international signing period begins on Jan. 15.
Despite having a rotation that should by led by Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Opening Day of the 2025 season, and include Shohei Ohtani’s return to the mound at some point next year, the Dodgers face a need for pitching this offseason.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Dodgers are among the teams that have met with Snell in free agency thus far:
Blake Snell is not wasting any time. The free-agent left-hander recently met with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions.
Snell is back on the open market for a second consecutive offseason after opting out of his deal with the San Francisco Giants. Despite coming off a Cy Young Award season in 2023, Snell lingered on the market into the start of Spring Training.
That ended with Snell signing a two-year, $62 million contract with the Giants that included an opt-out clause after the 2024 season.
Snell went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA, 2.43 FIP and 1.05 WHIP across 20 starts this year. He suffered a left adductor strain in late April and left groin strain in June.
Because the San Diego Padres extended a qualifying offer to Snell last year, he was no longer eligible to receive one this offseason. That could make him a more attractive option for the Dodgers in free agency as they would not need to forfeit a draft pick.
History of Dodgers’ interest in Blake Snell
The Dodgers reportedly made a late attempt to sign Snell before he agreed to terms with the Giants in March. They also were among the teams interested in the 32-year-old when the Giants considered trading Snell at the deadline this past season.
