The San Francisco Giants are hoping president of baseball operations Buster Posey can help the club reach the postseason in 2025. Trying to retain starting pitcher Blake Snell is a “priority” for them. But will the southpaw remain by the Bay or head elsewhere this winter?
Snell signed a two-year, $62 million deal with San Francisco in March. His contract includes an opportunity to opt out and re-test the free-agent market, which he’s expected to do. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller is predicting he’ll leave the Giants and return to the San Diego Padres.
Miller said a reunion with San Diego – where he spent three seasons – “makes a ton of sense.”
“They [the Padres] didn’t want to do it [re-sign him] last winter because they were in cost-cutting mode and felt pretty good about their rotation following the Soto trade,” he said. “But with Joe Musgrove destined to miss all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery while Dylan Cease and Michael King are in their final year of arbitration eligibility, bringing Snell back home on a semi-long-term deal could be the play.”
What Contract Could Blake Snell Command This Winter?
After winning his second Cy Young Award in 2023, the Scott Boras client looked to seriously cash in. The southpaw was rumored to be asking teams for a contract in the range of nine years and $270 million.
Despite nearly waiting until Opening Day to sign his next deal, that money was never presented to him. That’s why he settled for the two-year pact with San Francisco and an opportunity to try again this winter.
Snell mentioned at the end of the regular season that he’d like to sign with his next team earlier this time around. One would imagine this means his anticipated asking price won’t be nearly as high. Spotrac estimates his market value at five years and $131 million.
That’s something the Giants could manage. Without accounting for potential raises via arbitration, Spotrac has San Francisco’s 2025 tax payroll at $138.441 million (13th in baseball).
Blake Snell Had a Roller Coaster 2024 With the Giants
Signing about a week before Opening Day led to Snell’s Giants debut getting delayed. His first start for the club was on April 8 vs. the Washington Nationals. That began a six-start stretch where he struggled to find his form. Snell posted an 0-3 record with a 9.51 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 23.2 innings.
A groin strain forced him to the injured list from June 3 until he returned to take the mound on July 9. From then to the end of the regular season, he was a completely different pitcher. Snell’s final 80.1 innings resulted in a 5-0 record with a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts. That performance was more in line with what he produced for the Padres from 2022-23. He posted a 2.72 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 405 strikeouts in 308 innings during that time.
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SF Giants Predicted to Lose Projected $131 Million Ace to Hated NL West Rival