Blake Snell finally admits Astros' division rival totally botched his free agency

There was a time when it was assumed that the Houston Astros may well have been Blake Snell's destination this past offseason. Rumors at the 2023 MLB trade deadline linked Houston to the San Diego Padres, and there was talk of a possible deal that may have included both Snell and now-Astros closer Josh Hader.

Both left-handers became free agents this past offseason, and Houston was able to land the aforementioned Hader to a five-year, $95 million contract. Though whispers continued to link Snell to the Astros this past winter, an extended stay on the free agent market eventually culminated with the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner signing a two-year, $62 million deal with the San Francisco Giants.

But while the Giants ultimately secured Snell's services, and though the Astros were rumored to be in the mix, there was always the assumption that one of Houston's biggest rivals would actually be the frontrunner for the southpaw this past offseason. But the hometown Seattle Mariners never picked up the phone.

Blake Snell finally admits Astros' division rival totally botched his free agency

Snell, fresh off a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds this past week, was a guest on the Foul Territory Podcast. When asked about whether or not he had conversations with the Mariners during the offseason, Snell said, "I thought they would at least call, but nothing."

To be fair, when you look at the Mariners' starting rotation, one can make the case that adding Snell shouldn't have been Seattle's top priority this past offseason. As a team, the Mariners' pitching staff leads the AL in team-ERA (3.48), WHIP (1.09), and batting average against (.222). Seattle has also issued the fewest number of walks (263) on the year.

Snell has the opportunity to opt out of the second year of his two-year contract, and with his latest performance, that's looking more and more like a reality. The left-hander got off to a horrible start after missing nearly all of spring training, and on the season is just 1-3 with a 4.29 ERA in 11 starts. But since returning from a month-long trip to the IL in June, Snell is 1-0 in his last five starts with a sparkling 0.55 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 33 innings of work.

While the Mariners may not have found it prudent to explore bringing the Seattle native back to his old stomping grounds this past offseason, perhaps the Astros will kick the tires on bringing Snell to H-Town next winter if he declines to return to San Fran. Don't be shocked if the Snell to Astros rumors reignite later this year.

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