Outfielder Travis Snider has agreed to a minor league contract with the Diamondbacks, per a recent announcement from Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces. Snider will head to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee to big league camp.
At this point, it’s been close to a half decade since Snider, once one of the game’s elite prospects, appeared in the Majors. Now 31 years old, Snider was the No. 14 pick in the 2006 draft and was ranked among the game’s top 10 overall prospects by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus heading into the 2009 season. However, despite some encouraging results in partial seasons — often in a platoon role — Snider has amassed just a .244/.311/.399 slash on the whole in 1971 MLB plate appearances.
Snider has bounced between the Pirates, Royals, Mets, Rangers and D-backs systems since his last MLB appearance, most recently spending the 2019 campaign in Reno. He’ll return to the Aces for a second season after posting a huge .294/.402/.497 slash with 11 homers, 22 doubles, four triples and a gaudy 15.2 percent walk rate through 368 plate appearances in 2019. The Diamondbacks’ MLB outfield consists of David Peralta, Ketel Marte and Kole Calhoun, with fleet-footed Tim Locastro penciled in for fourth outfield duties at the moment.
There’s no immediate path back to The Show for Snider, but if he repeats his ’19 performance and the Snakes suffer some injuries to their starters, perhaps his four-year grind through the minors and the independent circuit will culminate in a big league return.
the Lunchbox Hero!
Yawn!
Why have I heard about Snider a lot recently in these comments? I feel like I hear about him each time I read these.
After the success of Charlie Morton, Steve Pearce and Daniel Hudson, I named Travis Snider as the next random Pirate cast off to become a World Series hero.
Bet on the D Backs, I guess.
Ok thats were I heard it.
Great pickup lol buy low ;)
What, was Michael Saunders not available?
Actually no he’s not lol. Saunders announced his retirement a few months back and became the manager for the Atlanta Braves’ rookie ball Appalachian League team.
The kid just won’t give up. Good for him, why not. If you can get paid to play a game, might as well
Always rooted for Snider. One of the forgotten contributors from our last good teams.
Poor Travis. I thought he was out of baseball because I never heard anything of him after leaving Pittsburgh. Guy had talent, but couldn’t put it together.
Gotta admire the dedication.
Maybe he will be a late bloomer and find some success in Arizona this year.
Actually Lunchbox played pretty well for the 2014 Pirates.NH saw a chance to get a couple of young pitchers from Baltimore and the Orioles needed a right fielder so the trade was made.Lunchbox went downhill fairly quickly after that trade.
I hope he does well and returns to the MLs.