Left-hander Blake Snell has exercised the opt-out provision in his contract and is now a free agent. Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic was among those to relay the news on X.
The news is not at all surprising. Snell was a free agent a year ago and didn’t find the contract he was seeking, despite the fact that he was coming off a Cy Young campaign in 2023.
He eventually signed with the Giants on a two-year pact with a $62MM guarantee. That came in the form of a $15MM salary and $17MM signing bonus for 2024, with a $30MM salary for 2025 if Snell stayed.
The opt-out after the first year was clearly there to give Snell a chance to take another shot at free agency if he could stay healthy and engineer another strong season in 2024.
For a while, it seemed like that wasn’t going to come to pass. Perhaps due to the fact that he didn’t sign until the middle of March and had a delayed spring training, he stumbled out of the gate in 2024 and also suffered a few injuries. At the end of June, he was on the injured list for the second time, the first one labeled as a left adductor strain and the second as a left groin strain. He had a 9.51 earned run average in the six starts he was able to make.
But he came back shortly after that and was completely dominant the rest of the way. He posted a 1.23 ERA in his final 14 starts of the year. His 10% walk rate was a tad high but he struck out 38.1% of batters faced.
Snell has had a few injury absences over the years but has continually demonstrated himself to be one of the best pitchers on the planet when on the mound. From 2018 until the present day, he has a 3.03 ERA and 32.1% strikeout rate, both of which are top ten numbers among qualified starters for that stretch. Among pitchers with at least 250 innings pitched over the past two years, only Tarik Skubal has a lower ERA than Snell’s 2.57 mark. Snell’s 32.7% strikeout rate in that time is also second best, a hair below Tyler Glasnow’s 32.8% rate.
Given that elite performance, it was widely expected that Snell would return to free agency in the hopes of a finding a more robust market this time around. He will be one of the top starting pitchers available alongside Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Jack Flaherty. Snell is leaving $30MM on the table but should be able to blow past that with a nine-figure deal of some kind.
Blake Snell and Free agency is always a good idea.
He’s a proven workhorse now.
Snell
Will get a nice contract . Hopefully with the Astros
He threw 104 IP over 20 starts last year. Not sure either of those numbers qualify him as a workhorse
danrobertori: Free agency for any player is a good idea. That’s why Marvin Miller and the early MLBPA fought to have it.
Good idea for who? The owners? Definitely not. The players? For the ones that get the big contracts. Absolutely. For the ones who get there by DFA. Sometimes. The Fans? Not for those of the team losing the player, or for those that like the face of the franchise players. Good for those fans of the team that signs the player (at least before the season actually begins). Not good for the fans of teams stuck with an albatross contract. For those who read articles on this website? Genius!
For the players to have the basic right to change employers if they choose. Don’t you have a right to seek a new job and a bigger paycheck from a different employer?
Dodgers on deferred salary?
Bobby Bonilla approves of deferring salary.
Now the Dodgers are to blame because Ohtani.
Freeman and Betts also have deferrals.
But it’s the Ohtani contract that’s new and exciting and the last straw.
Mets
Good luck Snellzilla!
Thank you
Snell, Burnes, Soto, Alonso, etc……Same stall tactics from Boras or adjust from last offseason?
None will sign until April/May
I predict Snell and Burnes will both sign by March 1st.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they sign at the winter meetings
As to the pitchers, I agree
I would be surprised if both are not signed at or around the Winter Meetings.
M’s sign hometown boy Snell giving them one lefty in the rotation. They then package Castillo and Emerson Hancock to some pitching starved team for a legit MLB bat.
I predict Alonso either signs back with the Mets on a take it or leave it offer or settles in spring for a one year deal
My thoughts exactly.
They won’t be getting $30m each tho…
. Not with heavily reduced regional TV deals knocking out 2/3s of the league, and the rest are settling for cheaper revenue streams. The days of new contracts 10-20% higher than previous year are done. Snell will sit until he accepts a 2x$25m offer, Manaea will be south of $10m on a 1-yr deal…
Same as always because there’s no Ohtani and Yamamoto to clog up the FA tunnel so there will be more players willing to pay up this year.
Just Soto like that this year.
The players don’t pay up, they get paid up.
@stymee hard to double check my posts when I have no time unfortunately.
Depends on if GMs are willing to pay Boras’ “you ignored me last year, now you shall pay dearly” tax
welcome to the Red Sox Blake.
I pray not
No thank you. We don’t sign Boras guys anyway, so terrible prediction
Hopefully. My targets are Sasaki, Bieber & Snell, and we need two of them.
If you think the Red Sox are getting those guys then you should take my username already.
While the Mariners will have a 2nd chance for a local , the better bet might be Blake Snell slotting into the Dodgers rotation
Please no. No boras clients.
I think Friedman is going to lay off the high-priced pitching IR candidates for a bit. And I think Snell is about due for TJS.
Dodgers are not Boras suitors…. Not unless Snell goes short-term, high-AAV again. And even then, they may ask him to defer some of it (depending on plans) and Boras will advise against it.
The Dodgers FO is smart… they won’t sign Boras clients on his terms.
If only the Yankees would pay attention to what the Dodgers are doing.
If only they would…
The only Boras client the Yankees should be aggressively pursuing is Juan Soto. They don’t any other of his clients, looking at Pete Alonso here…
Yankees should get some coach to teach them fielding techniques and how to hustle out plays
Fundamentals, Data… fundamentals. Unbelievable!
Datashark: I’m trying to be realistic here… I’m not going to go so far out on a limb as to suggest the Yankees will be fundamentally sound under Aaron Boone!
But they have a high fielding to ball velocity!
On and off the field.
1.1 billion dollar off seasons are not going to fix every team. Dodgers ruined baseball by using a tactic given to small market teams to allow them to be competitive. Blame Manfred for this one. They should have shut down the Ohtani contract. I’ll talk baseball because I love the game but the money and the tactics they allow now had turned the game for me.
Pogo if the game turned for you then leave it. Stop complaining about how the world changed and you’re not ready for it.
They only know how to hit homeruns
bye
pogo
Dodgers ruined baseball by using a tactic given to small market teams to allow them to be competitive.
=======================
You didn’t mention which tactic the LAD used. And, outside of being in mega-market team, I’m not sure they used any unusual tactics.
I agree – but your comments are too abstract for most of the people on this website
Now that they have deferred payments some team could go out and get all the top free agents and no one would stop them …
I don’t know if you remember but Finley of the Oakland A’s back in the late 70s was trying to sell each one his top players individually because he figured it would give him more money than if he sold the whole team to one buyer… he was stopped by the commissioner
Honestly though, Dodgers going to get hit bad when those aging contracts come through.
Cole just opted out and the Yankees rotation without him is one of the worst in the sport. They need pitching as much as they need Soto in the heart of their lineup.
The Dodgers did what every team is allowed to do. They didn’t break any rules. Just because they have more money than your favorite team or my favorite team, or that Ohtani only wanted to stay in LA doesn’t mean the game is ruined. Get over yourself, bud.
@Pogo Did you just wake up from a coma, been ignoring, oblivious, or just start following the game?? There has been huge disparity in payrolls for decades. In the last 30 yrs it started to grow exponentially. But since the Yankees in the late 90s a team(s) have been doing this each and every season.
I never said blame the Dodgers… in fact. The Giants offered Ohtani the exact same contract. I’m telling you to blame Manfred because this was the time to interject and he did not…. as for ppl not following my logic. That’s fine. Where have you all been?
Look here Tigger you’re harping at me for points of the conversation only you are trying to make. This is now a six team league…. not good for the fans. I’m saying blame Manfred for making the gap even bigger. I know how to spell small market… I’m trying to point out that Manfred made the rich richer. Not just anywhere. LA. Contracts not aging well doesn’t matter when you laugh all the way to the bank thanks to a TV deal that will pay Ohtanis entire salary and then some. If there is nothing wrong with this then skip to the next comment. The game used to be simpler and I guess I enjoyed how much any team has a shot. The 97 Marlins will never happen again. Look at the last 4 left in the playoffs…. mega pay rolls.
The Dodgers have said they will be in on Soto, a Boras client.
you mean heyman said
Soto is most likely going to the Mets. Second pick is SF. I don’t think Hal will pony up what those other two teams will.
Dodgers with Soto:
850 million
deferred to 2042
The dollar is going to be confetti long before 2042.
Soto might ask for a significant portion be in Gold, Silver, farmland, a % of concession sales, NIL royalties and Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency.
I meant what I said. When 4 different sources on two different coasts all quote the FO as saying the same thing, its likely true.
He’s not going to be asking for anything of that nature, it is outlined in CBA what form of currency teams will pay players in. As for Bitcoin or any other crypto, I’m not sure if CBA has language allowing some portion of contracts to be paid on such a manner. Having the most recent CBA of the 4 major sports I’m sure the topic of crypto is addressed be it for or against. I’d have to assume if allowed it would have be a small % and owners having just gave in to help settle on other matters. Every extra form of payment increases potential for manipulation. Especially with a payment method as volatile as cryptos. Seems it would be easier to leave it to the players as to what currencies and/or commodities they choose to invest in after they are paid by their employers.
China owns all of those things.
No way. Mets miss out on most free agents. Either Dodgers or Yankees sign Soto
What do you see his contract looking like with how old he is Yank?
Balk, that’s certainly the multi-million-dollar question. To be honest, I could see him get anywhere from $500MM-$700MM, depending on how the deal is structured (deferrals, for example). As for the years, I would be shocked if it’s anything under 10, and I could see as high as 15 (I know, hottake, right? lol).
But, I could see the SF Giants throwing a MAJOR wrench into the Soto situation. What are your thoughts?
I don’t think the Giants will sign Soto. Yankees or Mets, Yankees win if salary offer is the same. Runner-up signs Alonso for a fraction of the cost.
I see Snell going to back to Giants. Although the Yankees-Mets Soto-loser could also be in play.
Dodgers sign Adames and trade with St. Louis for Sonny Gray and Ryan Helsley. Maybe Nick Frasso, Jackson Ferris, Wrobleski and Diego Cartaya. And Cards do not throw in cash.
Hello YC An honest question in your opinion (OR anyone else’s) Isn’t Soto really a 3 Tool Player?
Maybe 3.5 Tools.?
Any chance The Core 4 Yankees and or Don Mattingly get’s more involved in the future of NYY in some capacity other as broadcasters?
Even in an “Unofficial” Spring Training Boot Camp coaching capacity?
I’m skeptical about any west coast team really having a shot. I think if he’s willing to defer it could be higher like you said $700MM. He is young and could build a contract top loaded, high aav, with opt outs after 3 years or whatever is his liking. I think a good farm system team would be something I would look at if having a choice. I’d want to win. But that’s just me.
YaGottaBelieve: We could only hope they do, honestly. The more involvement from guys that epitomized prototypical Yankees the better for the team. Aaron Boone is not a Yankee great and was never a winner, so he cannot relate to what it takes to win – all the small things that must be done right.
As for Soto… I’m not even sure he’s a 3-tool player. I think one could realistically argue he’s a two-tool player. But his hitting is incredible.
I know I may get beat up for this, but I think Soto is the best left-handed hitter in the game behind Ohtani.
@Yankee Ohtani’s agent pitched and sought the crazy deferrals in Ohtani’s contract. Likely just to sensationalize the whole thing and as we ve witnessed for yrs with Bonilla there are a ton of less than financially literate people out there.
These deferred contracts benefit the owners as they are paying less up front funding the deferrals per CBA rules and the deferred monies accruing til the day they are collected. They have been used by nearly every team in some capacity. These deferred contracts have almost all went without incident, aside from Mets who were part of largest Ponzi Scheme ever.
As for Ohtani the more people are hung up on the grossly inflated figures, the more his agents plan comes to fruition. It just further boosts the lore of Ohtani and makes the MLB’s most marketable player even more marketable.
One could argue the Wilpons were the financially illiterate party in the Bonilla contract.. They agreed to an 8% interest rate on Bonilla’s deferred salary as they were invested with Bernie Madoff and seeing consistent 15% returns. The Wilpons, like many others, did not question how Madoff was able to deliver consistency above-average returns. They thought they could guarantee 8% and still make a huge profit.
So, they were happy to offer Bonilla an 8% interest rate. You promise me 8% annually risk-free for twenty-five years, and I will deposit a lot of money with you. No one ever questioned how Madoff could do what he did while no one else could match the consistency of his returns.
The Wilpons lost the money they had with Madoff. Bonilla’s salary was invested in an annuity with Madoff., but the Mets are still paying Bonilla’s salary and will pay until 2035.
Bonilla is the GOAT of DEFERRAL Contracts
And hence the rampant financial illiteracy. He actually lost quite a bit of $ by not taking upfront and investing it all for himself since he seemingly could do without it.
angels sign him
Moreno is allergic to Boras clients.
Moreno is allergic to winning
Moreno is allergic.
Allergies are allergic to Moreno.
Muhammad Ali “I make medicine feel bad.” From Rumble to the Jungle era.
Rendon is a Boras client…
And the Yankees got hosed in that contract
The one thing we can be absolutely sure of is that Arte is not going to give a long term deal to a pitcher. the Angels will not be in the bidding for Snell.
It’s time to come back home to Seattle with a hometown discount. Mariners can trade one of their SP for a bat.
Hometown discounts went out with Happy Hooligan and The Katzenjammer Kids. Now it’s all greed.
He’s a Boras client, discount is not in his sales pitch.
That 6/180 hometown discount coming up.
I would love to see that happen with SEA then dealing one of their young SPs to CLE for Josh Naylor. Not gonna hold my breath for all that to play out though.
Really? A young SP for one season of a DH masquerading as a 1b.
Lindor’s Bodyguard;
Watch any games?
He’s actually a very good 1B.
Orioles 3/80
Think more, years & clams.
Double those numbers and it’s still a bit low.
That’s about right. I wouldn’t love it, but if the RS signed Snell to $160/6, I wouldn’t hurl either.
Based off what? Last year?
No way does 3/$80 million get it done, more like 4/$120 million or 5/$150 million. Maybe even more.
I don’t see Snell taking $100MM, let alone less. Moreover, I think his baseline will be five years. Obviously, I could be way off because a repeat of last offseason could occur for Snell.
I think 5/$165 is going to be BorasSnell’s low-end.
Hard pass. He is way too inconsistent to give a long term deal to. I wouldn’t mind if the Mets signed him but he wouldn’t be my first choice
No QO. No comp pick. He is in play for the Mets.
Hilariously stupid not trading him, or putting him on waivers at the end of August like they did with all their other pending free agents. And don’t try it with “ThEy WaNt To ReSiGn HiM !”
The other free agents you speak of don’t sell tickets. Took my dad to one of his last games just so we could snell in action. Sadly it ended after 50 pitches in the first! We were happy to see him regardless he was on a tear just not the game we saw.
If you do the exact opposite of what casual fans want you to do 99% of the time you will end up making the correct move.
More than just casual fans….
“Listen to the fans and you’ll be sitting with them”.
– Paul Brown
Yet another reason we are gleeful that Farhan is gone.
Was honestly unlike Farhan to keep the one “good” pending FA when he put all the other guys on waivers. He strikes me as a strict analytics type.
no one offered anything worth taking – they were kind of stuck either seeing if they could make a run or getting a bunch of low level minor league guys
Anything would have been better than paying him $7m to pitch in a bunch of meaningless games and then leave for nothing. Literally. Anything. Giants brass clearly didn’t think they could make a run seeing as they put all the other pending free agents on waivers. They didn’t even get “low level minor league guys” for those dudes lmfao.
Fernando Ringworm Jr.;
It’s never one or two players.
The objective is to put a balanced team together to give the manager numerous ways to win a game depending on the opponent, the park, the weather, etc.
Farhan kept trying to bring in one or two big names thinking that would work. It seldom does. Yankees got to the WS this year though. Of course, having the 2nd highest team payroll in MLB helped. $50-some million more than the Dodgers that beat their behinds in the Series.
Not sure what that has to do with my comment. I think that Farhan should have put all the pending FA’s on waivers or none of them. He shouldn’t have kept only Snell because “we have to put butts in the seats” or because “we want to sign him beyond 2024.” Like, last year I get why the Angels didn’t put Ohtani on waivers with all the other pending FA’s because he was QO eligible but Snell was not. If I’m Snell I’m honestly pretty pissed they didn’t let me finish out 2024 on a team that actually had a chance.
How do you know they didn’t ask Snell what he preferred, Fernando? And they weren’t meaningless games since they announced their intention to go for a WC. Hindsight shouldn’t benefit your perspective. The basic problem with your analysis are the plotholes we can drive a bullpen cart through…
@Gwynning Answer me this if they were intending to go for a WC why did they put ALL their pending free agents, minus Blake Snell, on waivers at the end of August? How does that help them secure a WC spot?
Maybe they didn’t view Estrada, Taylor Rogers or Matzek as “part of the plan”? How should I know?? And why should I care???
That’s an easy answer
“why did they put ALL their pending free agents, minus Blake Snell, on waivers at the end of August“
Firstly, you’re hoping someone is desperate enough and may overpay for someone.
Secondly, and this is what the angels did, putting people on the waiver wire reduces the payroll if someone takes them.
You look at who they had
Hader had attitude issues refusing to go more than an inning and was easily replaced by Suarez had he been claimed
Wacha only pitched in 9 games the second half so not like they were relying on him anyways given his shoulder issues
Do you have a link to who was actually placed on waivers? Cause I can only see padres placing rich hill on waivers. I can guess who but I’d like an actual list of who was and wasn’t from a verified source.
If I’m Snell I’m honestly pretty pissed they didn’t let me finish out 2024 on a team that actually had a chance.
=======================
He was on a team that had a chance. But he stunk for half a season. There is no one to blame but himself.
Rogers had a 161 ERA+ this season! They could have used him if they had managed to secure a WC.
@JoeBrady The Giants didn’t have a chance.
So you get nothing for him and that’s the better alternative?
bag o ballz
no one offered anything worth taking
==========================
Would you care to provide a citation for that? Because it sounds insane. Snell had a 0.75 ERA in July. Someone had to offer them something good.
FWIW, I’d have kept him and hoped that Ray went on a tear. But teams certainly had to have made offers for him.
@WCRIT That makes no sense if the Giants “announced their intention to go for a WC” as Gwynning put it.
My bad thought the discussion was about padres 2 years ago not giants. My bad. Think I misread who we were talking about.
@WCRIT The Padres haven’t done the “put all the pending FA’s on waivers” thing. The reason they didn’t do it with Snell or Hader last year is because they were QO eligible. That actually makes sense. The QO was not in play for the Giants with Snell.
Mets, 4 years $130 million with an innings based vesting option for a 5th year. Plus he has no QO attached to him.
He’s going to ask for at least guaranteed six years and more than Cole’s $36M AAV.
If he holds firm on that ask he’ll be signing another pillow contract.
If he does, he’ll still be looking for a job come March.
If Snell asks for a similar AAV to Cole, he’s delusional. They’re not even on the same playing field. 30 million is more than enough, with 5 years maybe 6.
Across
Snell does not have to be as good as Cole to ask for Cole money. Markets change from year to year.
Kyle Gibson gets more than Bob Gibson did.
That being said, if someone offer Snell six years at 30 million or five years at 34 million, I feel confident that this time around, he will take it quick.
Since Gerrit Cole signed his deal in December 2019, the cost per WAR of free agents has gone up 13.5%.
True about your comment about changes in what a team will pay year to year.
Offering Snell 6 years with his 2 TJ’s is a real reach and for sure he’s be a real ass not to take that offer at $30/per
5 year contract is more likely what he’ll be offered at upwards of the $30 per….although that signing team better have a deep bullpen because thinking that he’s going more than pitching into the 6th, which he typically doesn’t, is going to make those bullpen guys work every start of his.
I could “ask for Cole money.” Doesn’t mean I’ll get it.
Blake Snell has never had Tommy John surgery.
He won’t get 6/216 from anyone. But I keep wondering what his contract will be. Will someone go 5/170? Maybe 6/180? I know he wants to be paid like an ace, and when healthy, he pitches like one. But he’s only reached 180 innings twice in his career and will be 32 soon. He’s also had bouts of inconsistency. I don’t see a team going more than 5 years, so the AAV will have to be 30+ I’m guessing.
He didn’t get that last year, so he is unlikely to get that one year older.
And I hope the RS sign him, but he is nowhere near as good as Cole.
The only reason he might is that after his rough start, he was even more dominant than his run the year before. Recency bias influences so many contracts.
The last 2 seasons
2.87 ERA in 304 IP over 50 starts
2.57 ERA in 284 IP over 52 starts
One pitches deeper in games. The other has taken the ball in more games and been slightly better while in games.
As a NYM fan I am afraid if they sign Snell the extra IPs leads to TJS and /or he can’t deal with the extra NY pressure. Lefties are valuable against PHI and ATL. I have more confidence in Burnes (a RH) and I don’t chase Snell. Let some other team over pay him plus dealing with Boras is difficult in every way..
I would like another LHSP besides Peterson.
I think signing Quintana or Manaea (NOT both) as a 4 or 5 along with Burnes and 1 AAA who grabs a spot. Butto, Sproat, Vasil, Tidwell., Scott
Some of these guys may be needed in the bullpen more – at least in the first half of the season.
Good chance Stearns could obtain a starter in a trade like one of the SEA starters, S. Gray, Crochet, N. Martinez, D. Williams, Helsley (co Closer?)
LGM!!!
YaGottaBelieveAgain;
I think you’ll find that Burnes is far too sensitive to pitch in NY (or Boston). Once he has a bad stretch the media and
fans will make his life miserable. He fits best on a West Coast team…maybe even stay in Baltimore. I’d suspect his agent – Scott Boras – knows that. However, it’s still Burnes decision.
Be careful what you wish for. You may have 21st century Ed Whitson situation.
As a Met fan, I don’t want Burnes – his numbers keep steadily declining, and he’ll want a 7+ year contract I’m sure.
I think Snell when healthy and in a groove is more dominant anyway. But his durability and age make me shy away from 6+ years. I think he could do really well on the Mets, but I’d be worried about injury. A short term high AAV could do it if both sides willing to go there (like the Wheeler deal).
Ma4170;
Normally I wouldn’t think a team should give any player a 6 year contract…..especially a pitcher.
But until MLB has total revenue sharing Steven Cohen has made it clear that he’ll eat any bad contracts and pay any penalties.
Im a big proponent of short term high aav deals bc the team doesn’t take a hit for too long if it doesn’t work out, and the player gets paid and has an opportunity to make more afterward. Wheeler’s recent extension is a good example, but we wont see it much w younger players unless their market dries up.
Least surprising news of the day. Opting out was always the plan for both him and the team, which saw him as a short term fix rather than a long term investment. Think it’s unlikely that they will resign him due to the owners aversion to long term contracts for pitchers. If they were to decide to offer one I’d guess that they would be more likely to offer one to Burnes given his more consistent track record.
I still wouldn’t sign him. No thank you!
I think most teams are figuring out that short term with high dollar amounts, keeps them from paying a player ( Kershaw, Max , etc…) who simply doesn’t help the team. Win now means 2/ 75 or 3/112 with a 3rd year team option ( &7 million buyout) that everyone should be happy with! Win now philosophy
Any team wanting to sign Cnell to a short term deal would have them paying him an AAV around $43 million. A 3/130 deal at a minimum. For a team like the Dodgers or Yankees that means nearly $90 million including the CBT penalties just for 2025
Mets will grab both Snell and Burns. Resign Manaea and Severino. Sprinkle Senga in there and they have a balanced starting 5 with a young offense. Soto will likely resign with the Yankees. Can’t see them letting him go, especially crosstown.
Agreed, as much as I’d like Soto, I doubt he’ll be a Met. They’ll bring Pete back and use the money on SP and depth. The team got to where it did with a good core, strong leadership and great chemistry. All while trying to patch holes in an overworked play the hot hand bullpen because starters didn’t give them length until August. They also have a farm to utilize for acquiring controllable players and/or depth on offense. They have no other choice but to spend on pitching, preferably closer to 30 than 35. The rest of the fan base will blow a gasket, but I trust Cohen/Stearns and their long term plans.
Your idea is not bad it’s just I wouldn’t be in a hurry and I don’t think NYM will sign all the starters you mention. I’d make Burnes priority #1 for starters.
They would like to fill 1 SP with a AAA pitcher but this might not happen till after the ASG, Butto is a great candidate for a starting spot but he may be needed more in the bullpen if he can adapt and has a bounce back arm to be used every other day.
Manaea and Severino had a good year but I might let them leave.
There is some inconsistency and injury concerns.
Fail
Giants should have traded him when they had a chance
in case you weren’t paying attention they didn’t really have a chance – no one was offering anything.
You seriously think nothing was offered?
Fun fact: there were offers
If you were paying attention you’d realize the offers weren’t “sufficient” to what the giants wanted. That’s different than there being no offers. Giants holding out for a better package and getting nothing for him was a dumb move.
They played chicken and lost.
Oh well they lose him for nothing now.
No one was offering anything for one of the hottest pitchers in MLB at the time?
At the All Star break Snell had a 6.31 ERa and only 8 starts. At that point no one was clamoring to trade for him because there was the chance that he really was that bad and they would be stuck with the rest of his contract..
After the ASB he was arguably the best starter in baseball.
@outinleftfield Waivers exist
What does that have to do with my comment? After the trade deadline there are no trades anymore. A team can still waive a player, but they get nothing in return.
“Waivers exist”
So does free agency and both of them amount to pretty much the same thing after the trade deadline. Nothing coming back to the Giants and no choice of where the player goes.
@outinleftfield That is exactly what the Giants did with all their players who were about to be free agents, sans Blake Snell. And what they get in return is shedding his salary and eliminating the risk of him opting in and getting stuck with an underwater contract for 2025.
@Flyby But if they waive him they save something like $4m and divest themselves of the risk of Snell needing TJ down the stretch and having to pay him $30m to sit on the IL next year. And I don’t think the Giants care about nothing coming back to them or not having a choice in where the player goes seeing as they waived all their other players who were about to be free agents.
outinleftfield
At the All Star break Snell had a 6.31 ERa and only 8 starts.
==========================
Teams aren’t going to care what he did in April if he was the best pitcher in BB in July. As a RS fan, he’d have easily, easily been my #1 target.
The Giants probably got offers from ten different teams.
outinleftfield
but now you are saying that they should have waived him?
=============================
I don’t think you understand his point. Ignoring the fact that it would PO the fans, there is no upside to keeping him. The downside of an injury is not huge, but it does exist.
So the upside is -0-, and the downside was $30M.
@outinleftfield…
1. Yes I am. They waived all their other pending free agents. No point in keeping just Snell.
2. Some of the other guys they waived were playing well too.
3. It wasn’t exactly guaranteed that Snell would stay hot in September. He did. But the Giants didn’t know that at the time.
@JoeBrady Nailed it.
“1. Yes I am. They waived all their other pending free agents. ”
Can you name them? Because from what i see all their pending free agents were still there at the end of the season Conforto and Canha (acquired in trade) and Casila and Chapman (signed extention).
“2. Some of the other guys they waived were playing well too.”
Again who? They released Hill? they also released Casila and Knapp which they resigned to minor league deals which is pretty common for catchers.
“3. It wasn’t exactly guaranteed that Snell would stay hot in September. He did. But the Giants didn’t know that at the time.”
They also didnt know he wouldnt stay hot also historically he tends to do better in the latter half so more likely than not he would keep doing well. Also they could potentially sign an extension with the team because no one would ever sign an extension after the waiver deadline especially a boras client (cough cough chapman). They would have exclusive rights to negotiate a contract with him until the world series. If you want to argue injury how about aaron judge who signed 400M contract after only 2 relatively healthy season and was out again last year. Did the Braves know they would lose strider for a season before they signed his extension.
if the 4M saving was so big why would they acquire canha at the deadline and also not release him to save a couple of million as i believe his contract was 3-4 million left when they acquired him.
@Flyby…
“Can you name them?”
The Giants put Tyler Matzek, Thairo Estrada and Taylor Rogers on waivers. None were claimed, but the point is they tried.
“Again who? They released Hill? they also released Casila and Knapp which they resigned to minor league deals which is pretty common for catchers.”
Taylor Rogers pitched very well for the Giants in 2024. And he actually appears to be signed for 2025 so not a rental.
“Also they could potentially sign an extension with the team because no one would ever sign an extension after the waiver deadline especially a boras client (cough cough chapman). They would have exclusive rights to negotiate a contract with him until the world series.”
Nice try buddy. They could have signed him this offseason if they traded/waived him. So saying they can extend/re-sign him isn’t an argument for why they shouldn’t have traded or waived him.
“The Giants put Tyler Matzek, Thairo Estrada and Taylor Rogers on waivers. None were claimed, but the point is they tried.”
Nice try with these 3, First your example of Rogers by your own admission is not a pending free agent at the end of season and the rest are minor league depth really worth nothing. Matzek was already a salary dump for Soler deal and estraida was minor league utility depth Even rogers at the time of his waiver according to this site at time of his waiver, “By measure of leverage index, Rogers has been eighth on San Francisco’s bullpen hierarchy (among relievers with at least 10 innings). That hasn’t changed throughout the season despite Rogers’ numbers.” 8th is your mopup guy when the game is blown out of all pitchers are done.. So again where did They waived all their other pending free agents.”? Im still seeing most of their pending free agents on the team at the end of the year. The list you provided wasnt half even if you include Rogers as i didnt include knapp or snell in my totals. so thats at best 3/8
“Nice try buddy. They could have signed him this offseason if they traded/waived him. So saying they can extend/re-sign him isn’t an argument for why they shouldn’t have traded or waived him.”
yes they could also done the same with chapman as well but my guess is you are now bidding against 32 teams and probably adding another 10-15% price tag to what they might get from negotiating with him exclusively.
Now you have to invest resources into not only trying to retain him but looking at someone to replace him and divesting resources. Probably cost more than 4M in the long run if you were serious about retaining him. Its a lot cheaper to retain than acquire one of the first things you learn in business school. This might have been a little easier with Snell with the debacle he went through the prior offseason. He probably will sign sign a lot sooner than last year.
Let me guess you think the Yankees were not talking to Soto and just waiting until the offseason to resign him at probably a huge overpay instead of attempting an extension for potentially less and able to focus on other talent to make the team better instead of again splitting resources to try to keep Soto and retain Cole and add talent.
@Flyby They still waived Taylor Rogers even though he was helping them win games no matter how you cut it, slice it or dice it. Why would they do that if they are trying to contend hmm?
“yes they could also done the same with chapman as well but my guess is you are now bidding against 32 teams”
Lil’ bro doesn’t even know how many teams there are in MLB!
“… and probably adding another 10-15% price tag to what they might get from negotiating with him exclusively.”
Snell is a Boras client. He was 100% going to test free agency. They aren’t saving any money by “negotiating with him exclusively.” And the money they would have saved by waiving him can go towards signing him in the offseason.
“Now you have to invest resources into not only trying to retain him but looking at someone to replace him and divesting resources.”
No you don’t the Giants were done for 2024. Or if you are talking about 2025 Snell can be the one who replaces Snell even if they waive him.
“Probably cost more than 4M in the long run if you were serious about retaining him. Its a lot cheaper to retain than acquire one of the first things you learn in business school.”
Snell isn’t taking one cent less from the Giants just because they didn’t trade him lmfao.
“This might have been a little easier with Snell with the debacle he went through the prior offseason. He probably will sign sign a lot sooner than last year.”
Waiving him wouldn’t change that.
“Let me guess you think the Yankees were not talking to Soto and just waiting until the offseason to resign him at probably a huge overpay instead of attempting an extension for potentially less and able to focus on other talent to make the team better instead of again splitting resources to try to keep Soto and retain Cole and add talent.”
It’s not what I think it’s what Brian Cashman said. Soto wouldn’t even discuss an extension with the Yankees.
Strike three, you’re out!
“They still waived Taylor Rogers even though he was helping them win games no matter how you cut it, slice it or dice it. Why would they do that if they are trying to contend hmm?”
First again he was not a pending a free agent so anything you mention about him is moot and out of argument really. but since you insist why did the yankees waive dennis santana … he even saved a few games how about ron marinaccio. both were helping them win games no matter how you cut it, slice it or dice it. Why would they do that if they are trying to win hmm? They got them to the best record in the AL.
“yes they could also done the same with chapman as well but my guess is you are now bidding against 32 teams”
sue me i was setting my football lineup for the week, but point still stand. I also still know what the word all means especially when :”all” is not even half. 2 is a lot less than 6 especially when the top number is 9. My math seams better than yours. So still waiting on all these hot top pending free agents because by my count you have none. I guess i also know what pending free agent means as well.
“Snell is a Boras client. He was 100% going to test free agency. They aren’t saving any money by “negotiating with him exclusively.” And the money they would have saved by waiving him can go towards signing him in the offseason.
Chapman is a also Boras client and on the same team with Snell and he 100% did not test free agency. Snell ended up taking a lot less this past offseason because he waited in the offseason hoping for bigger money. Do you think he is going into the offseason with that same mindset/plan or if the Giants offered the same or similar deal as the yankees he wouldnt consider taking it? I guess he could do the same thing as last offseason, wait, take a pillow contract with opt outs and then as you mention potentially get hurt early next season and TJs for that extra maybe million or two for that 1 maybe 2 years instead of accepting a long 4 or 5 or maybe even 6 year term deal before free agency starts.
“Waiving him wouldn’t change that.”
Yes because guess what is before that? him only dealing with one team and them going back and forth and potentially landing a deal for he is looking for or close enough that both feel good like his fellow free agent and sharing the same agent Boras teammate Chapman. This is also an offseason where he is probably not the number 1 pitcher and would potentially have to wait out Burnes.
so this is what the 4th or 5th post and im still waiting on proof of where they put all their pending free agents because Rogers was not a pending free agent and from what i see anyone worth anything was still there and no mention of waivers on them.
were you even in the game? seems like you stroman in the playoffs and just a participation trophy roster addition. shoot even duke ellis got in a game to pinch run.
Rogers not being a pending FA actually hurts your argument more than it helps because he could have helped the Giants next year as well as this year and they waived him anyway. Doesn’t sound like something a team that is trying to win does. If you’re waiving him you basically have to waive Blake Snell. Snell isn’t going to accept one cent less from the Giants just because they didn’t waive him.
Actually it doesnt hurt my argument at all because he was put on waivers end of August and guess what he was still pitching up til the teams last game. Do you know why he could do that? Because no one claimed him off waivers so he was still part of the team.
I’m thinking you dont actually understand what waivers are. A team has to claim them otherwise they stay on the original team and the original team can choose (depending on service time and options) to send em to the minors, keep em on roster, or release them. In this case, they sent Estrada to the minors, released Matzek (and still paid him btw since no one picked him up) and kept Rogers. If Giants released him, they would still have to pay him 12M next season which is why no one claimed him on waivers and he is on the team for 2025 barring a trade or the Giants eating that money.
Yup Snell definitely wont have to accept less because he definitely wont overvalue himself and have to wait til basically the start of the season and signing a please take me contract with opt outs trying again where he isnt the top pitcher. Nope will never happen. Would that be like a Boras client never signing an extension just before free agency? Nope that never happened either.
maybe you dont deserve that participation trophy after all.
I know exactly what waivers are and there was no benefit to the Giants in not putting Snell on them. If he doesn’t get claimed they are in the same position they are in now. If he does get claimed they save some cash and eliminate the nonzero risk of him getting injured down the stretch and opting into a contract that would appear unfavorable for SF at that point.
Snell doesn’t have to contend with the QO this time around. He’ll be fine.
Now go color and let the adults talk.
@Flyby…
“So why would a team claim him and put themselves in that same position that he gets injured and opts into an unfavorable contract? Sound like it hurts your argument more than it helps.”
Because they are trying to win a World Series. A title is worth the risk of Snell getting hurt in September. Pretty simple equation.
And yes. They should have waived Canha, Conforto and Flores.
Ad hominems are the last resort of he who knows he is losing an argument. So can I assume you realize that you were wrong all along then?
Joe, teams don’t offer much in trade for guys that make $32 million, have a player option for $30 million the next season, and that have only 8 starts and a 6.31 ERA.
Zaidi said they didn’t. He knows better than either of us.
There was no upside to waiving him because the Giants were just a few games back for the last WC spot and as you said he had a great July and 5 great starts in August under his belt when they waived those 3 other players.
Thairo Estrada, Taylor Rogers, and Tyler Matzek.
Matzek never pitched for the Giants after the trade from Atlanta.
As others have mentioned the upside to waiving him was the $5-6m saved and eliminating the risk of him getting injured or tanking down the stretch and exercising his player option.
The Giants were sunk by the end of August. That’s why they waived Estrada, Rogers and Matzek. So there was no downside to waiving him.
Trevor Bauer is just as good if not better and can be signed at a fraction of a cost. That’s why he will have a variety of suitors and the market for Snell is like two teams that will regret it immediately
I agree Trevor definitely has a variety of suitors Naranjeros de Hermosillo, Cañeros de Los Mochis, Yaquis de Obregón, Algodoneros de Guasave, Diablos Rojos del México, Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Plus many more. in the NPB and LMB.
I have no problem if a team wants to sign Trevor the turd. The turd served his penalty. But to say that Trevor the turd is better than Blake Snell is a clown statement.
Sounds like you had your head smashed into the turnbuckle too many times
That was as much of a non-surprise as you can get. I can tell you one team that will not be in the bidding for him, the Angels. Arte refuses to allow Perry to sign pitchers to a deal longer than 3 years.
Left before the season was over. A lot of fans had bought tickets on his scheduled day to pitch. Good riddance.
LLGiants64;
Aw, come ‘on.
Who cares about the fans.
Grow up man.
“Imma get mines”
Did he have his Boras cap on when he left? That’s the key.
Was at OPACY when he decimated the Orioles line up. Tickets behind home plate. Man among boys.
Hopefully Boras will be realistic here.
Base annual with escalator clauses tied in to health. Extra pay at 110 innings and another at maybe 150. And, an SO/9 above 10.5 gets end of season bonus.
How long? Hmm. I think the market will dictate that.
Does Boris ever do deals with IP and/or performance bonuses?
Like “mostlytoastly” for a moniker.
To your point. Come on Scott, “be realistic here”.
He didn’t really seem happy there. He seemed happy in SD but I don’t really see that happening.
I wonder how much Snell being a new daddy will play in where he signs?
Dodgers probably going to sign snell. High injury rate, boras injury rate, probably won’t ever pitch in the postseason.
Buster signs him for 7/210.
Definitely will sign with the giants 6 years 224 mil
Gun violence: Gun violence rates in rural areas are on par with or higher than those in cities.
Child violence: Rural children experience violence outside the home at higher rates than urban children. For example, 8.9% of rural children have been victims or witnesses to neighborhood violence, compared to 8.6% in urban areas.
Jail incarceration: Rural America has the highest jail incarceration rates in the U.S
Damn those darn facts!
Gun violence? lol . Stop listening to politicians. It’s anger management issues.
Anger management issues with a gun.
So you’d rather treat the symptom than the problem? Do you work in Big Pharma? That’s how they operate.
Mr. .Quemo
Damn those darn facts!
====================
Were you responding to someone with that?
outinleftfield referring to the Angels’ owner and general manager by their first names like he’s close personal friends with them or something lmfao.
Boy remember last postseason when it seemed like the signings really dragged Held Up by “the Boras 4” Ohtani, Yammamoto, Montgomery and Snell (Not be confused with any Law Firms)
Only been a few days but seems like there is an appetite to get things sorted out earlier this Year. Baseball Fan’s anxiety levels (high blood pressure) I think Soto, Burnes signs and Crochet gets traded.
More signings will happen as those 3 find New (or the same) teams,
.
GiddyUp
Ohtani isn’t boras. Snell Montgomery and co. are represented by Dewey Howe & cheatum Aka Boras.
Yes, Montgomery was represented by Boras last off-season.
And then fired Boras in April because Montgomery thought Boras mismanaged his free agency.
It’s Dewey Cheatum & Howe
Welcome to the world champion Dodgers!!!!!!!
Peehhew can ya snell that snell?
Still going to go for the 7/210 I would believe. Probably will settle for 2 guaranteed years and 3 options attached afterward. Total value of all exercised, 160. The 2 guaranteed years to start with, 60 total and probably a declined option add on of 5-10 million making it 2/60-70 guaranteed.
Snell smells like a gigantic mound of turds. Wait…I bet you he wants to be a Dodger! Everyone, get your masks ready.
“And Snell was down 3-0 to Ramirez, and came back to strike him out and get out of a jam here in the 4th. It’s still 3-1 Dodgers.” (Over the Guardians, in game 2 of next season’s world series.) I’m drunk, let’s see if that comes true.
I didn’t realize how stacked the SP market would be this offseason. The following offseason also looks strong, with Zac Gallen, Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, and Logan Gilbert among the 2026 notable SPs anticipated to hit free agency. Blake Snell doesn’t stand out among either free agent class, so it seems like he’ll go for a more reasonable deal to start the season on time this year.
Logan Gilbert isn’t a free agent until 2028.
Snell has had a 2.57 ERA the past two seasons, won a Cy Young in 2023, and had the best 2nd half this century in 2024.
He’ll be the opening day starter for the Braves.
I guess we’ll see him sign after Spring Training for a 1-year deal again.
I think he can replicate this past season, but only if he is healthy, which is a big if. I think that will leave him disappointed in how big the contract offers he receives are, especially in the number of years teams are willing to offer.
Could certainly build a fine starting staff with the options available this offseason.
Good luck to Blake Snell. I wouldn’t mind him back on the Giants.
Snell won’t make the same mistake in missing spring training. I expect him to sign during the winter meetings just because of his bad start to this past year. Boston, we need an Ace, we actually need a strikeout Ace because a ton of runs get scored in Fenway and our defense is a little sus. John Henry if ya serious about competing this is your guy to replace Sale. Snell would go a long way to completing the team, especially if Cora gets told let him cook and go deep. This is the piece, we got the closer, put Whitlock back in that role for good he’s not a starter.