Blake Snell isn’t hiding how hard he’s pushing for Tarik Skubal to stay in Los Angeles.
With free agency approaching, the Dodgers left-hander said he’s been in constant contact with Skubal and made it clear where he stands on the matter. Snell, who has developed a close bond with Skubal in just a few months, has already told him after the NLCS loss that the team had unfinished business to settle.
At a Dodgers Foundation event on Thursday, Snell said the recruiting campaign is still very much alive.
“I talk to him every day. He’s good.
He knows how I feel. You know, I want nothing more than him to be a Dodger.
But again, it’s a life decision for him and his family. So I respect that,” Snell told David Vassegh of Spectrum Sportsnet.
He also said Dodgers fans have been leaning on him to keep the pressure on.
“I keep it there, but I’ve done my pitch. I hear the Dodger fans, you know, hit me up all the time.
‘Get a little bro to stay here.’ We’ll see what he does, you know, but I think we have a good shot.
“I think we do have a good shot to get him here.”
Snell’s connection with Skubal gives the Dodgers at least one real advantage in the chase, but it won’t be the only thing that matters. The gap between what Los Angeles can offer and what another club might put on the table could still be massive.
If the Dodgers come in with a strong enough offer, especially one built around a short-term deal and a huge average annual value, Skubal’s time in LA could help persuade him to choose the Dodgers over longer-term money elsewhere.
Still, the reality of free agency is simple: Skubal has to make the best financial decision for himself and his family, and with Scott Boras as his agent, that’s likely exactly what he’ll do. The Dodgers, though, have the resources and the motivation to stay in the race, especially with their appreciation for his competitiveness and their need for more certainty in the rotation.
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