San Diego Padres' Blake Snell is touted to be one of the most prized free agents this winter.
He's been rumored to join a handful of different teams ranging from the Giants to the Phillies. For the latter, it's expected that the Phillies will target Snell assuming they don't reunite with star pitcher Aaron Nola.
Despite the flurry of rumors connecting Snell to Philadelphia, one source doesn't believe it's where he actually wants to go.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote that Snell would love to sign with a different club: his hometown team, the Mariners:
"Free agent starter Blake Snell would love to sign with his hometown team, the Seattle Mariners, but they don't have a need for starting pitching. The Philadelphia Phillies are the favorite to sign him while letting Aaron Nola walk away."
Blake Snell rumored to prefer Mariners over Phillies in free agency
Snell, the widely acknowledged favorite to win the NL Cy Young award this year, came off a fantastic campaign in which he recorded a 2.25 ERA and finished with a 14-9 starting record.
Snell had arguably underperformed for the last few seasons in San Diego and was entering a crucial contract year ahead of 2023.
There's still a chance the Padres could re-sign him, but a quality starter like Snell has become a hot commodity in the open market. It's too bad his desired destination, Seattle, currently doesn't have a need for him, though that could change depending on the Mariners' offseason moves.
