Padres finalize deal acquiring ace Blake Snell from Rays

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Padres finalized their acquisition of ace left-hander Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays, sending four prospects in exchange for the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner.

The Rays will receive right-handers Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox and catchers Francisco Mejía and Blake Hunt in the deal announced Tuesday.

Snell went 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 regular season, then went 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA in six postseason starts for the American League champions.

The 28-year-old lefty gives the ascending Padres an established ace at the front of the rotation as they attempt to catch the Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego is also working to finalize a deal for Chicago Cubs starter Yu Darvish, according to reports from ESPN, The Athletic and others.

“This team can play and we’re going to be chasing a World Series, which is obviously the most exciting piece to this whole thing,” Snell said.

With a young and talented team that features shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr. and third baseman Manny Machado, the Padres finished with the second-best record in the National League this year at 37-23 — six games behind Los Angeles — and made the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

San Diego’s injury-depleted rotation was in shambles when the postseason arrived, but the Padres managed to get past St. Louis in the first round before they were swept in three games by the Dodgers in the Division Series.

Mike Clevinger, acquired from Cleveland in August, isn’t expected back from Tommy John surgery until 2022, but the Padres have other quality starters in Dinelson Lamet, Zach Davies and Chris Paddack. Left-hander MacKenzie Gore is one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, the jewel of a deep farm system.

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source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Padres-finalize-deal-acquiring-ace-Blake-Snell-15834535.php