Around the industry, the expectation is for Blake Snell’s free agency to be much different this time around.
After not having as many suitors as expected after winning his second Cy Young Award last winter, the left-hander seems to be set to be paid handsomely. This could also be one of the last times, if not the last time, of his career where he could land a massive contract.
Because of that, from Snell’s perspective, he should be looking for a long-term deal that pays him well.
Still, after his free agency didn’t go as planned after winning a Cy Young Award, there are rightful concerns about him potentially not having the market he’s expected to have. If anything, that should help the San Francisco Giants.
As the Giants found out last offseason, they could benefit from his market not being as competitive as expected.
That shouldn’t happen, as many have called him one of the top three pitchers available.
That includes Eli Ben-Porat of Baseball America, who named Snell the No. 3 pitcher on the market.
“From March to June, Snell is a mediocre pitcher. But from July onwards, he is an all-time great. This year, Snell’s 34.7% K% marked a career high, while his BB% held around his career norm of 10-11%, leading to an exceptional 24% K-BB% that was good for seventh among MLB starters with at least 100 IP. All four of his pitches grade out as above-average in both Stuff+ and StuffPro, with the changeup taking a big jump in quality per Stuff+ (StuffPro has always been a fan)… If he has a season where he starts off strong, he’ll likely win another Cy Young award.”
Even if Snell lands a long-term deal, it’s not out of the question that it could be with San Francisco. After already making massive moves at the end of the regular season, who’s to say they wouldn’t be interested in bringing back the two-time ERA Title winner?
Perhaps that price could be relatively cheap, as many of the flaws he showed in 2023 were again prevalent in 2024.
It’s never been about what he does on the mound, as he has some of the best stuff in baseball. However, his walk numbers have been concerning. He walked 99 hitters last year, and 44 in just 104.0 innings pitched this season.
Despite some of the concerns, all he’s done throughout his career is get outs at a high level.
Snell should, hopefully, be rewarded for that.
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