The San Francisco Giants season is essentially over.
In what will go down as one of the more disappointing campaigns around Major League Baseball, the Giants have a ton of work they need to do this winter.
Priority No. 1 will be what they do with Blake Snell.
The left-hander is expected to opt-out of his contract, paving the way for him to sign a new deal with a different team.
Will San Francisco allow him to walk without extending a new contract?
That still remains to be seen.
The bigger worry, if that happens, is what they’ll do if he does leave.
Losing Snell and not replacing him when the Giants were already as bad as they were with him in the rotation would be a tough blow, and one they can’t afford.
However, there are a few holes in the lineup that need to be fixed, so prioritizing those areas instead of re-signing him to a megadeal might be the better decision.
As it gets closer to the offseason, expect the rumors on Snell and San Francisco to pick up.
The latest one from Mike Axisa of CBS Sports, predicted that the two-time Cy Young Award winner will opt-out of his deal and ink a contract with a different team.
“A sluggish start to the season and a pair of groin injuries made it seem likely Snell would pick up his player option, but he’s been excellent since coming off the injured list on July 9, including throwing an 11-strikeout no-hitter on Aug. 2 … Snell turns 32 in December, so this offseason might be his last chance at a significant multi-year contract. Pick up the player option and wait one more year to test free agency, and you’re talking about a 33-year-old who is that much closer to his decline years. It’s harder to get paid at 33 than 32, and that will undoubtedly factor into Snell’s decision.”
There should be contending teams interested in his service this winter.
There’s some intrigue about Snell’s free agency because of how the whole situation played out last offseason. He didn’t sign until late in process and missed Spring Training.
It’s uncertain what happened there, but he wasn’t the only Scott Boras client who dealt with that issue.
The expectation is that it’ll be different this time around.
However, if he wants a certain amount of money that clubs aren’t willing to hand out, perhaps something similar will happen.
