ARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 21: Blake Snell #4 of the Tampa Bay Rays (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Blake Snell could get traded, but Boston might not be a viable destination.
The Tampa Bay Rays were a few wins away from a World Series victory, but they are apparently just a few days away from blowing everything up. The Rays are reportedly considering trade offers on Blake Snell, who manager Kevin Cash famously pulled in Game 6 while he was mowing down the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Snell has been on the trading block for the last few weeks given the Rays’ history of avoiding big contracts and trading players at peak value. While some in Red Sox Nation want Snell in Boston, there are several factors working against that potential pairing.
The Red Sox don’t have the ammunition to pull off a Blake Snell deal
In looking for potential destinations for Snell, Tampa Bay needs to find someone who is both motivated to contend for a championship, has the financial flexibility to absorb a potential Snell contract, and quality prospects. Boston doesn’t have any of those traits.
After trading Mookie Betts in the name of saving a few bucks, adding a pitcher who will be in line for a huge contract would be a sharp reversal. Boston is coming off a season in which they were relegated to the basement of the AL East, proving that this team is clearly not in win-now mode.
The lack of pitching prospects prevented Boston from replacing the likes of Chris Sale and David Price, and the minimal top prospects that Tampa could get in return would dissuade them from sending Snell to Boston.
The Rays will need an insane package in return if they want to send Snell to a division rival, and a package of marginal prospects is not going to convince Erik Neander. Snell will have plenty of suitors, but Boston doesn’t make practical sense given the state of the organization.