The San Diego Padres have an estimated payroll of $249 million, or an increase of $35 million from last season.
Peter Seidler, Chairman of the Padres, has provided team President and General Manager A.J. Preller with the necessary financial resources for the team to be consistently competitive.
Seidler’s commitment to winning has placed his Padres above the first of four Major League Baseball Luxury Tax thresholds.
The MLB luxury tax thresholds for 2023 are $233 million, $253 million, $273 million, and $293 million.
The Padres chief division rival in the National League West, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have an estimated 2023 payroll of $228 million, just under the first tax threshold.
The Padres have been sluggish so far, posting a record of 21-26, good for 4th place in the division. They are 8 games behind division leading Los Angeles.
The team had to wait for star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. to complete a suspension, and didn’t get him in their lineup until April 20.
Now, All Star third baseman Manny Machado is on the Injured List with a fractured hand.
Pitcher Seth Lugo has a strained calf, and joined Machado on the Injured List.
The Padres have several marginal players on the last year of their contract, including pitcher Luis Garcia, outfielder Adam Engel, designated hitter Nelson Cruz, and infielder Rougned Odor. Each can become a free agent at season’s end.
However, the Padres have two more pending free agents that may be more consequential.
Left-handed closer Josh Hader’s contract expires at the end of the year. Hader’s salary is currently $14.1 million. It would seem reasonable the Padres would want to extend Hader with a new contract, as he is one of the best, and most proven closers in baseball.
Left-handed starter Blake Snell, 30, is also in the final year of a contract that pays him $16.6 million this year.
Snell has had an inconsistent year for the Padres, and the team may choose to make him available in trade.
As an experienced, left-handed starter who has pitched for contending MLB teams, Snell should be an attractive trade target.
About Blake Snell:
Blake Snell was a supplemental 1st round selection of the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2011 MLB draft.
Chosen out of Shorewood High School in Shoreline, Washington, Snell was the 52nd player selected in the draft.
Snell received a $750,000 signing bonus, which was $56,000 above the MLB recommended bonus amount for his slot.
At 6-4, 180 pounds at the time of the draft, Snell had good size, and a solid frame. The Rays targeted Snell as one of the players they could draft in 2011 with one of their 12 picks among the first 100 in the draft.
Now at maturity, Snell now weighs 225 pounds.
An early issue for Snell was an inability to command his pitches, a factor common with many left-handers. However, as he progressed in the Rays development program, his command and control improved.
Snell was solid enough in high school and in his early years with the Rays to earn a grade of 65 from a majority of scouts. A grade of 65 equates to a consistent All Star quality pitcher with an ability to be an ace of a staff.
Because he was only 18 when he was drafted, Blake spent parts of six seasons in the Rays development program, graduating to the big leagues in 2017, at the age of 24.
According to Brooksbaseball.net, Snell’s repertoire includes a four-seam fastball, a changeup, a slider, and a curveball.
Snell’s fastball sits at 95 miles per hour, which is a slight increase in velocity from his rookie season with Tampa Bay.
Everything Snell throws works off his fastball. He uses that pitch 52.5% of the time, to set up the other three pitches.
Snell’s use of his other pitches has remained fairly consistent over time. He uses his change up 19% of the time, his curve 14.5%, and his slider 14%.
Snell was an All Star for the Rays in 2018. He won the American League Cy Young Award that year.
On December 29, 2020, the Rays traded Snell to the Padres for catchers Blake Hunt, and Francisco Mejia, and pitchers Cole Wilcox and Luis Patino.
So far this season, his ninth in the big leagues, Snell has pitched to a record of 1-6. He has a 5.40 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 45 innings pitched.
His numbers aren’t great, but some outings are much better than others. To this scout, Snell remains a credible pitcher in a game that covets left-handed starters .
Potential Trade Partners:
Experienced starting pitchers are always in demand. Especially lefties.
If the Padres don’t extend him, Snell should spark trade interest from contending teams.
It might be wise to send Snell back to the American League, where he is familiar with the hitters, and he won’t have to face the Padres.
But one National League team stands out to this scout as a very solid trade partner.
The New York Mets have had pitching issues all season, and they could stand to bolster their rotation with Snell.
The New York Yankees have dealt with pitcher injuries and inconsistency. They would make an outstanding trade partner.
The Minnesota Twins have lost two starters to injuries, which may put them in a position to try to find a solid lefty for their rotation.
To this scout, when it is all said and done, the Mets may offer the best match.
The Padres may want to supplement their catching depth beyond Austin Nola and Brett Sullivan.
The Mets have depth at catcher, with rookie Francisco Alvarez, who is likely untouchable, Omar Narvaez, Tomas Nido, and even Gary Sanchez, who the Mets just signed.
Narvaez is dealing with a strained calf, and Nido has an issue with a dry eye syndrome. However, both could be viable trade options for the Padres. Both should be ready to return to action soon. Either could be part of a meaningful trade between the Padres and Mets.
Conclusions:
Unless his contract is extended, lefty Padres starter Blake Snell will be a free agent at the end of the season.
While he isn’t having his best year, several clubs may feel comfortable trading for Snell. He still has plenty left in the tank.
To this old scout, the New York Mets, the New York Yankees, and the Minnesota Twins could be ideal trade partners for lefty Blake Snell.
Follow me on Twitter.