The San Francisco Giants are in a critical offseason this year. They will be working to get themselves back into contention as the team remains committed to trying to bring a World Series to the city. They have made some decisions regarding their roster for next season, and they landed a big-name free-agent pitcher. Blake Snell signed a two-year deal with the Giants worth $62 million, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. The deal includes an opt-out after this season. Snell officially rejected the qualifying offer he received from the San Diego Padres. It was widely assumed that the Padres were not a fit for Snell due to the direction the club is heading into next season.
Breaking: Snell to the Giants. $62M, 2 years. Opt out.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 19, 2024
The Padres had not made a qualifying offer since 2015, when Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy were free agents. Both players signed elsewhere, using its compensation picks on Hudson Potts and Eric Lauer.
Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Lands with Giants
Snell was dominant in 2023, and went home with his second Cy Young Award, one in each league. With the Tampa Bay Rays, Snell won the American League Cy Young Award in 2018. The southpaw posted a 2.25 ERA and a 1.190 WHIP while striking out 234 batters in over 175 innings on the mound. His 234 strikeouts were a career high and he led the majors in advanced statistics including ERA+ and hits per nine innings.
Snell was one of the top free-agent pitchers on the open market, and after a long, drawn-out process, he is finally off the board weeks into spring training. Other teams such as the Houston Astros and New York Yankees showed interest in Snell in recent weeks. However, they were hesitant to meet his asking price. Snell provides a big boost to the Giants rotation, elevating a team on the edge of contention to being serious postseason contenders.
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