Blake Snell is the seventh pitcher in history to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues. As the excellent Sarah Longs pointed out, he was one of 11 pitchers to become a free agent after receiving that recognition.
The left-hander was 31 years old, four years younger than fellow left-hander Randy Johnson when he signed with the D-backs and was coming off the best game of his career. When Snell signed with the Nationals, he was about the same age as Max Scherzer. Everyone knows what the right-hander did with the Capitals, including his contribution in helping them win their first World Series title in 2019.
Snell will get a huge contract. Especially in a world where Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who never took action in the majors, received a $325 million contract from the Dodgers. The Red Sox must retain Snell's services at any cost. So should the Mets and Yankees, because the Bombers don't have enough starting pitching to finish higher than fourth in the AL East.
Can investing so much in an opener be a big risk? Since the birth of free agency, the Yankees signed Catfish Hunter 50 years ago, after he left the A's. It is always dangerous. A few free agent starters like Greg Maddux and CC Sabathia went full steam ahead. Some were injured. Dominican Pedro Martinez was the same when he arrived at Metz, but then got injured and was never the same.
But at a time when nearly every team needs a starting pitcher, Snell is still the best pitcher, and by far the best. At the start of last season with the Padres, he gave up five runs per game, but has since gone 14-9, striking out 234 batters in 180 innings and making 32 starts. His ERA was an amazing 2.25.
Jerryd Cole, the American League Cy Young Award winner, made 33 starts for the Yankees, one more hit than Snell, had a 2.63 earned run average and struck out 222 batters in 209 innings. That means he averaged one episode more per presentation than Snell. Cole is 33 years old and is considered by some to be the most valuable starter in the Major Leagues right now. They both had practically the same campaign.
“At his best,” Buck Showalter said, “he was one of the unhittable guys.”
But then Showalter added the following about the starters, whether they played in the Major Leagues or Japan:
“You can evaluate all you want. But in the end, you never know what will happen.
You will never know. The Yankees gave Sabathia a seven-year, $160 million contract, and 14 years later they signed Carlos Roden for nearly the same amount, one year less. In his first season in New York, Sabathia went 19-8, finished fourth in Cy Young voting, made the postseason and the Yankees were champions.
And Rodan? He suffered an ailment in his forearm, another in his femur and discomfort in his back. In the end, he made just 14 starts for New York, finishing with an ERA of less than seven. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the obvious in the winter meetings.
“In his second year, we believe we anticipated Rodone when we signed him,” Cashman said, almost making his 2024 option to the Bombers.
Regardless of elbow or shoulder history, good and bad luck is always a factor. That's why baseball, words Tommy John arise with almost equal frequency Game ball. For example, Nathan Ewald signed with the Rangers last season and helped them win the World Series. They bought him for two years and $34 million, the same amount the Yankees invested in Marcus Stroman a few days ago. All Evaldi did was pitch like a legend in October. And, you know what? Right-hander Tommy John has undergone two surgeries in his career.
Four years ago Snell had arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow. Now he has reached the status of the best pitcher in the old circuit. He had a great season for the Padres, who finished with an 82-80 record, and Gerrit Cole for the Yankees, who finished with the same record.
Cole is not a free agent. But Snell. All teams should expect his services. When you look at the Red Sox's situation — last place in the AL East and what awaits them right now in their rotation — they'll have to work hard to add him.
