BLAKE SNELL SENT TO SAN DIEGO
The San Diego Padres acquired pitcher Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays for catchers Francisco Mejia and Blake Hunt, and pitchers Luis Patino and Cole Wilcox.
What does it give the San Diego Padres
In Snell, the Padres land a top left-handed starter who is still in the prime of his career (28 years old). He will immediately become the staff ace and give San Diego quality innings. He has battled injuries in the past, so the team hopes he can remain healthy. Pitching at PETCO Park should help Snell from a statistical standpoint.
What does it give the Tampa Bay Rays
This is what Tampa Bay does: they compete and retool at the same time. Losing Snell should hurt the rotation but Patino might be able to help out in 2021. Mejia adds an offensive catcher to the team's stable of backstops (led by the defense-first Mike Zunino). Both Wilcox and Hunt are long-range prospects for Tampa Bay.
Fantasy impact
Snell's numbers might even get better pitching in San Diego half the time, so he is a good trade target in most leagues this off-season. Mejia will likely play behind Zunino in Tampa Bay, so his value remains limited (though he has more value in keeper formats). Patino has some sleeper appeal for '21, while both Wilcox and Hunt are several years away from becoming relevant in fantasy circles.
