Blake Snell had to walk off the mound in Game 6 of the World Series, shaking his head after a decision by manager Kevin Cash that will continue to cause controversy for years.
With three years remaining on his contract, Snell could hardly guess then that this would be the last chapter of his stint with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The San Diego Padres, determined to win the title, wanted it too much.
On Tuesday, the Padres finalized the acquisition of the left-hander, from the Rays and winner of the 2018 American League Cy Young trophy, in exchange for four prospects.
Also Tuesday, San Diego acquired starter Yu Darvish from the Chicago Cubs. Thus, a rising Padres will have two consolidated aces at the head of their rotation, looking to fight in the West Division of the National League against the Los Angeles Dodgers, current champions of the World Series.
In exchange for Snell, Tampa Bay will receive two right-handers, Colombian Luis Patiño and Cole Wilcox, as well as two receivers, Francisco Mejía and Blake Hunt. These are well-evaluated young men from the San Diego branches who have produced good players for years.
The Padres got rid of the four players in exchange for a 28-year-old pitcher with experience in the October Classic, who would bring confidence to a team that already has stars like Fernando Tatis Jr. and compatriot Manny Machado.
“They are super exciting,” Snell said of his new team. “They have a team that has fun playing. They have attitude and they can hit. “
Snell was 4-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts during the 2020 regular season, shortened by the pandemic. In six playoff starts, his record was 2-2 and his ERA 3.03 for the Rays, who ended up winning the American League.
In Game 6 of the World Series against the Dodgers, he pitched spectacularly all the way into the sect inning, before Cash called him out, even though he had thrown just 73 pitches. The decision backfired: The Dodgers rallied to win 3-1 and win the title.
Snell has defended his driver’s decision.
“I respect him and have always trusted him,” he said. “You know how to win. We got to the World Series because we won. “
In the trade for Darvish, the Padres also got Puerto Rican catcher Victor Caratini and cash. The Cubs hosted right-hander Zach Davies and four minor league players.
The ambidextrous Caratini was Darvish’s drumming partner in Chicago, hitting .241 with 16 RBIs the previous season.
Davies was 7-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 12 starts for San Diego this year. The package of prospects landing in Chicago includes Owen Caissie, an 18-year-old outfielder who was selected by the Padres in the second round of this year’s amateur draft.
Darvish, 34, was 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts for Chicago during the season. He was second in the vote for the NL Cy Young.
The Japanese has three years and $ 59 million remaining in a six-year, $ 126 million deal he signed with the Cubs before the 2018 season.
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