The Blake Snell free agency saga came to a close Monday.
Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young award winner, has agreed to a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. The deal includes an opt-out clause for Snell after the upcoming 2024 season.
In his third season with the San Diego Padres, Snell returned to the form that won him the 2018 American League Cy Young with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Snell posted a 14-9 record with an MLB-best 2.25 ERA in 32 starts last year. His 2023 campaign brought an end to a string of inconsistent seasons from the 31-year-old hurler. Snell’s 2023 ERA was nearly two full runs lower than his debut season with San Diego in 2021.
San Francisco Giants take advantage of cool market for Snell
Snell, who is represented by agent Scott Boras, was reportedly seeking a long-term deal. However, the market failed to materialize in spite of Snell’s dominant 2023. The Padres already filled Snell’s spot in their rotation by trading for Dylan Cease last week.
The Houston Astros were reported to be interested in the eight-year MLB veteran as late as last week. However, the defending NL champions balked at guaranteeing Snell $60 million over two years. Signing Snell would have put Houston over another MLB luxury tax threshold.
The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels were also reportedly to be interested in acquiring Snell’s services.
San Francisco Giants make a big addition to the rotation
If Snell is able to maintain his 2023 form, he will make for quite a boon to a strong Giants rotation. San Francisco had traded for starter Robbie Ray in January. However, Ray is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and is currently on the 60-day injured list.
Now, Snell will join a Giants starting staff that also includes Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Keaton Winn, Jordan Hicks, and Alex Cobb.
Snell boasts a four-pitch variety anchored by a fastball that hits the high 90s. While his 5.9 hits per nine innings were the best in the NL, he also led the league with 99 walks.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur. You can follow him on X at @tomcarothers.