The Padres made a move to replace their bait.
The team was close to an agreement Sunday night to acquire starting pitcher Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Luis Patiño, Francisco Mejía, Cole Wilcox and Blake Hunt. Several sources have confirmed the deal, which was first reported by The Athletic.
Snell moves into the spot in the Padres turn that was left empty when Mike Clevinger underwent surgery on Tommy John last month.
The Padres’ rotation would apparently be led by Snell, Dinelson Lamet, Zach Davies and Chris Paddack, with the final place determined in the spring practice.
Snell, 28, won the 2018 American League Young Cy Award and has soared a 2.85 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over the past three seasons. He had an ERA of 3.24 last season and started 1.20 whips in 11 (50 overs).
The left-hander owes $ 39 million over the next three years, including $ 10.5 million in 2021.
The cost to Snell was three of the Padres’ 14 best prospects, and Mejía, previously a very prominent prospect who was injured for most of 2020 and would be a backup in 2021.
Patiño, who had an ERA of 5.19 in 17 1/3 overs in his first season in the majors in 2020, was their prospect in third place, according to MLB.com.
Wilcox, a right-handed pitcher taken in the third round (80)de generally) considered in this year’s draft as their prospect no. 7. His $ 3.3 million sign-up bonus was a record for a third round and was comparable to the recommended money for the 20de overall choice.
Hunt, a catcher selected 69de overall in 2017, was 14de.
AJ Preller, general manager of Padres, expressed the possibility that the Padres would go into the season with the pitchers they had, but it was no secret that he was looking at the phones in search of a trading partner. Snell has been on the Padres’ wish list since at least last month.
Although for the past four years much attention has been paid to the Padres on building a farm system that would seemingly be able to constantly recharge the roster in the league, the acquisition of Snell is added to the list of important moves that big players involve. which Preller has made over the past three years – joining Eric Hosmer, Manny Machado and Clevinger.
Snell’s 2.85 ERA over the past three seasons is the sixth lowest in the majors among pitchers who have thrown at least 300 overs. But his 337 2/3 innings in that team are behind 59 others.
Snell started just over 24 times in his four full major league seasons – in his Cy Young year, when he was 21-5 with an ERA of 1.89 in 31 starts. He reached a career high of 180 2/3 overs that season.
He missed time in 2019 due to an operation to remove “loose bodies” in his elbow. He only played twice in 23 starts in more than six overs in 2019.
Rays manager Kevin Cash has been widely criticized for his decision to take Snell out with one in the sixth innings with Snell having just allowed his second hit in the decisive Game 6 of this year’s World Series.