The Tampa Bay Rays fell short of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2020 World Series, where manager Kevin Cash made a tough move to pull starting pitcher Blake Snell when he visibly showed his frustration. Since that day, trade rumors have rumbled around, but it appears the day has come.
BREAKING: The San Diego Padres are finalizing a trade to acquire former Cy Young winner Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays for prospects.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 28, 2020
The Rays have parted ways with Snell; he was traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for four prospects. Frankly, the trade works out very well for both sides. The Padres get the 2018 Cy Young award winner showing that they are in a “win-now” mode.
Snell made eleven starts for the Rays during the 2020 season, where he totaled 50 innings pitched and produced a 4-2 record. He pitched to a 3.24 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and struck out 63 opposing hitters. His 2019 season was not as pretty as his 2018 Cy Young award-winning season, but now he gets his chance to join a stacked rotation in San Diego.
The prospective deal that would send Blake Snell to San Diego would be centered around top pitching prospect Luis Patiño, sources tell ESPN. Also in the deal, as @dennistlin reported, would be catcher Francisco Mejia, pitcher Cole Wilcox and Blake Hunt, a young catcher.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 28, 2020
The Rays, however, are going to be in a great position after acquiring Luis Patiño, Francisco Mejía, Blake Hunt, and Cole Wilcox. Two solid starting pitching prospects, Patiño being the Padres number three prospect in their organization before being traded.
Mejía was traded to the Padres from the Cleveland Indians and is an exciting catching prospect. Wilcox was selected in the 2020 MLB Draft and was the number two started for the University of Georgia behind Emerson Hancock, who was a first-rounder in the 2020 draft.
