Blake Snell Wants to Stay with Padres, Hasn't Had Contract Talks Ahead of Free Agency

San Diego Padres pitcher Blake Snell is hoping for a longer tenure with the team.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Snell desires to remain with the team following the conclusion of his contract this offseason but that no talks have begun with the front office about making that happen.

"San Diego Padres Cy Young candidate Blake Snell tells USA TODAY Sports he wants to stay in San Diego when he hits free agency, but has yet to engage with the front office on a potential contract extension," Nightengale wrote.

Nightengale then noted that Snell would likely hit the market as the No. 1 pitcher available, so time is surely of the essence for the Padres if they want to keep him around.

The 30-year-old is in the midst of a strong season in 2023, sporting a 12-9 record with a 2.50 ERA in 28 starts. He leads the staff in most pitching categories and has undoubtedly been the team's ace.

The season has still been rather difficult as the Padres are 65-73 and sit in fourth place in the NL West. The Padres are 20 games behind of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the division lead and are 5.5 games outside the final NL Wild Card spot.

This comes after reaching the NLCS in 2022 and possessing a roster with the third-highest payroll entering 2023. Re-signing Snell sounds like a no-brainer for a team that has the talent to be a contender but numerous financial decisions are ahead of the team outside of him.

He is not the only pending UFA on the books, with star reliever Josh Hader also facing the same fate. Additionally, the team has a decision to make with slugger Juan Soto as he will likely secure a significant sum when he is set to hit free agency after 2024.

The team also has significant money tied up in starters Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish, so paying large contracts to three starters may be a tough pill to swallow for a team with a core that still hasn't proven they can have consistent winning.

Having Snell want to return to the team is a good start but there is still plenty standing in the way of a reunion. If the Padres opt to move on, Snell will still be a very rich man when he takes the field in 2024.