The Los Angeles Dodgers are locked in a tight playoff battle with the hated San Diego Padres at the moment, but it's not too early to look ahead to this winter.
Though the Dodgers were still one of the best teams in Major League Baseball this season, starting pitching was hardly a reason why. Every prominent member of the Dodgers rotation spent time on the injured list, and the group has struggled to find its footing in the playoffs.
If the Dodgers want to maintain their dominance atop the National League West in 2025, they'll need to fortify their starting pitching situation. And perhaps there is no better way to do so than by pilfering an ace from another division rival--the San Francisco Giants.
Giants ace Blake Snell is getting set to opt out of the second year of his $62 million deal after a remarkable second half to his 2024 season. And the Dodgers were among the teams Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer predicted would pursue Snell's services this coming winter.
"The risks of signing Snell aren't any less obvious than they were last winter. He can be erratic even when he's pitching well, and it's not uncommon for him to not show up until the second half. He also turns 32 on December 4," Rymer said.
"Still, it's about time the guy got his due as a legitimate ace. In contract form, that should be a multi-year deal in the $150-200 million range."
At 31, Snell is clearly still in his prime, as evidenced by his ridiculous 1.23 ERA in the final 14 starts of his 2024 season. With two Cy Youngs and a no-hitter in his pocket, it's time for Snell to finally land the nine-figure deal he's been chasing.
Snell coming to the Dodgers would make perfect sense on so many levels. First, the Dodgers need pitching, and second, the Dodgers are known to spend outrageous sums of money to get what they want. But the most Dodgers-y reason of all is based on Snell's last two teams.
Angering both Padres and Giants fans to get arguably the best arm on the market is quintessential Dodgers. It's easy to envision them pulling this off, because they've taken so many players those teams wanted before. Sometimes, history repeats itself.
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