Starting pitcher Blake Snell is still MLB‘s top free-agent hurler with Opening Day fast approaching. While there hasn’t been a lot of significant news regarding his market, an interesting squad is lurking: the Houston Astros.
The Athletic’s Chandler Rome painted a picture on March 15 regarding how the Astros could make a play. He mentioned that Houston “coveted” both Snell and closer Josh Hader at the 2023 trade deadline, but it “never got on the board.” After handing Hader a five-year, $95 million contract this offseason in free agency, maybe the club has its opportunity to go after Snell.
“As I’ve said multiple times, we always have our foot on the gas when it comes to winning and acquiring pitching,” general manager Dana Brown said to Rome on March 14. “As long as Snell is on the market, we check in to ask what is the latest. Nothing new as of now.”
Snell would provide a huge boost to Houston’s rotation. He won the 2023 National League Cy Young Award after posting a 14-9 record with a 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 234 strikeouts in 180 innings for the San Diego Padres.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman said on March 14 that the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels remain Snell’s two most likely landing spots. However, that doesn’t mean another squad can’t swoop in and steal him at the last minute.
Snell’s Contract Ask Should Work for Houston
The only known contract offer Snell and agent Scott Boras have received this winter was for six years and $150 million from the New York Yankees. That was rejected and answered with a nine-year, $270 million counteroffer, which forced New York to go elsewhere for pitching help.
But the southpaw’s contract demands have shifted. Like Cody Bellinger did with the Chicago Cubs and Matt Chapman with the San Francisco Giants, Snell is open to a short-term deal with multiple opt-outs available. The 2024 expenditure could be $30-plus million. However, it’d likely be only a one- or two-year arrangement assuming Snell re-enters free agency to pursue the long-term deal he wants.
The Astros are currently in line to pay luxury tax following the 2024 season with an estimated payroll of $248 million, per Spotrac. But even if they sign Snell to a $40 million salary for the upcoming campaign, it’d keep them below the highest luxury tax tier of $293 million.
A Look at the Astros’ Current Rotation
According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, the Astros’ Opening Day rotation should include Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Jose Urquidy, Hunter Brown and J.P. France. Rome noted that Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. will both start 2024 on the injured list. They’re each rehabbing from elbow surgery and aren’t expected back until after the All-Star break.
Veteran hurler Justin Verlander will also begin the year on the shelf as he works back from a shoulder injury.
“I’m just trying to trust my body and not rush anything because of a date on the calendar being Opening Day, and just trying to do things the right way,” he said on March 5 via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. “I thought we were really close to being able to make it happen, but it was really on the fast end of things pace-wise to build up. I think once we kind of all sat down, the calendar dictated ‘All right, we need to make a decision.’”
With potential question marks surrounding Verlander, Garcia and McCullers Jr., it makes sense that Houston is keeping tabs on the pitching market. Adding Snell would make an American League powerhouse even more formidable.
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