Getty The San Francisco Giants could use free agent starting pitcher Blake Snell in their rotation. There's one roadblock to it happening, though.
Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell is still a free agent despite the calendar flipping to March. The San Francisco Giants are pursuing the left-handed hurler for their rotation, but there’s a major roadblock that could be preventing a deal from happening.
During a February 29 appearance on Foul Territory, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal said the Giants “need help” in the rotation. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman also reported Snell is willing to back off original demands for a long-term deal. He’s instead open to signing a short-term contract with opt-outs. The three-year agreement outfielder Cody Bellinger signed with the Chicago Cubs is the model here.
However, Rosenthal pointed out one problem about that for teams interested in Snell, which includes the Giants. He rejected a qualifying offer from the San Diego Padres at the start of the offseason. So, any team that signs him will have to surrender at least one MLB Draft pick and possibly money from their international signing bonus pool.
“Teams aren’t in love with the possibility of keeping Snell for only one year partly because of the rules regarding draft-pick compensation,” Rosenthal said.
The Giants’ 2024 Rotation Has Lots of Questions
San Francisco has investigated some major upgrades for its rotation this winter. They pursued Japanese hurler Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Giants were also connected to Snell earlier in the winter, but his $270 million asking price forced them to pivot elsewhere.
It led to them signing Jordan Hicks to a four-year, $44 million deal and trading for 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray. Despite those moves, San Francisco’s rotation still has plenty of questions ahead of Opening Day.
Ray is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so he won’t be back on a big-league mound until at least the summer. Fellow veteran starter Alex Cobb is also expected to begin 2024 on the injured list. As for Hicks, San Francisco is converting him from the bullpen to the starting rotation. The hard-throwing right-hander has compiled just eight MLB starts in his career, all of which came in 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Other starters perceived to be in the Opening Day rotation mix — Tristan Beck and Keaton Winn — are both dealing with injuries. Pairing Snell with fellow ace Logan Webb has seemed tantalizing. The current question marks surrounding the Giants’ starting staff has it feeling more like a necessity than a luxury.
San Francisco Still Pursuing Snell & Chapman in Free Agency
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has reeled in some top talent via free agency this winter. It includes outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year, $113 million deal and designated hitter Jorge Soler on a three-year, $42 million contract.
Thanks to a slow-moving free-agent market, they’re at least pursuing other top options since they’re still available. This includes Snell and third baseman Matt Chapman. On February 28, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle said the Giants have roughly a 50-50 shot at landing either Snell or Chapman ahead of Opening Day.
Both players would fit into the club’s roster nicely, but it seems like the details will matter regarding whether an acquisition comes to fruition or not.