Report: Padres to Acquire Rays Ace Blake Snell in Trade

The Padres have reportedly swung a trade for their new ace.

San Diego will acquire Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell in a multi-player deal, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. The Rays will receive right-handed pitcher Luis Patiño and catcher Francisco Mejía, along with prospects Blake Hunt (catcher) and Cole Wilcox (right-handed pitcher).

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Snell, 28, went 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts in 2020, striking out 63 batters in 50 innings. He went 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA in six playoff starts last season, and has a 2.83 career postseason ERA over 35 innings.

Snell broke out in 2018 at age 25, going 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA en route to winning the American League Cy Young Award. He has three years and $39 million remaining on his contract.

Assuming the deal is finalized, Snell’s final appearance for the Rays was his brilliant outing in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series, in which he allowed just two hits and one run with nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings. He retired 16 of the first 17 batters he faced before allowing a one-out single to Austin Barnes, after which he was pulled by manager Kevin Cash despite throwing only 73 pitches.

Snell said he was “disappointed and upset” about Cash’s decision after the game.

“I just want the ball,” Snell said. “I felt good. I did everything I could to prove my case to stay out there, and then for us to lose, it sucks. I want to win, and I want to win the World Series, and for us to lose, it just sucks.”

Patiño, 21, debuted for San Diego last season, appearing in 11 games (one start). He struggled with his command, walking 14 batters in 17.1 innings, but has a live arm and is viewed as one of the game’s best pitching prospects. Patiño posted a 2.35 ERA and struck out 279 batters in 234 innings across three minor league seasons, though he had made just two starts at the Double-A level before reaching the majors last year.

Mejía, 25, was once considered among the best catching prospects in the game, but has struggled to establish himself in the majors. He was acquired by the Padres in 2018 in a deal that sent Brad Hand and Adam Cimber to Cleveland, and has hit .229/.282/.398 in 116 games for San Diego.