The wait is finally over as Blake Snell has signed with the San Francisco Giants. Snell is coming off a stellar year, where he won the National League Cy Young Award. Snell had a 2.25 ERA and a 1.189 WHIP, while adding 234 strikeouts. Last year was an incredible season for Snell, and wasn’t his first, as he won an American League Cy Young Award in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays. So why did it take teams so long to sign a 2-time Cy Young winner?
His agent, Scott Boras, overshot the market. Reports suggest Snell wanted a nine-year $270 million contract, but no team wanted anything near that. The New York Yankees likely came closest when they offered him six years for $150 million, which he declined. With teams moving on, and the season fast approaching, Snell had to settle for much less. His contract with the Giants will be a two-year deal, worth $62 million, with an opt-out after the first year. This isn’t anywhere close to the market he, or Boras expected. The Giants were the highest bidder; however, as teams like the Yankees, and Houston Astros did not want to exceed $30 million per season.
Impact on Giants
The Giants were 79-83 last season and remain in a difficult division. The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorites to win, with the World Series runner-up Arizona Diamondbacks remaining a strong threat. The San Diego Padres also expect to be competitive so it’ll be a four-team race.
This is a great landing spot for Snell, who will pitch in a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Snell adds another dynamic arm to the rotation, which already features top pitcher Logan Webb. This will create a phenomenal 1A/1B to start the rotation and give opposing hitters nightmares. In a playoff series having two elite pitchers is a huge difference-maker as the rotation gets shortened, so this makes an incredible difference. The challenge is getting there.
The Giants already made several moves this offseason, adding third baseman Matt Chapman on a three-year deal. They also signed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee out of Korea. These signings, along with Snell provide strong improvements to the team and create playoff expectations. Look out for the Giants to do better this season, with the impactful signing of Blake Snell.
