As you were taking down stockings and chugging the last of the eggnog last night, the San Diego Padres kept right on being the beacon for teams actually trying to win baseball games in 2021. They struck a deal to land former AL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays, adding yet another potent arm to their ever-evolving starting rotation.
It was quite the move, as they sent four players Tampa’s way, headlined by talented young hurler Luis Patiño and catcher Francisco Mejia. That’s of note for several reasons for those who follow the Cincinnati Reds, as the Padres had been linked to a pair of Reds arms during their pursuit of rotation upgrades.