The San Francisco Giants are falling out of contention and are unlikely to reach the postseason in 2024. This comes after they had a very big offseason and signed several key free agents.
To make matters worse, reigning Cy Young Blake Snell is going to opt out of his contract, meaning the Giants will have a hole in their starting rotation.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicts that the Giants will ultimately lose Snell this offseason.
"Snell, 31, struggled to a 9.51 ERA through his first six starts while making two trips to the injured list with an adductor strain and a groin strain, but he has been lights out since returning to action on July 9," Reuter wrote. "After last offseason's debacle, he should be more motivated to take the first good long-term offer that comes along this winter, and that could make it difficult for the Giants to retain him."
The Giants signed Snell to a two-year, $62 million contract towards the tail end of spring training. The deal of course included an opt-out clause after the first year.
This means that Snell will likely receive the long-term contract he sought last offseason, and as Reuter noted, that might make it hard for the Giants to re-sign him.
In that case, they may have to scour the market for another ace to pair with Logan Webb. They did manage to extend Matt Chapman, but it appears that keeping Snell will be hard.
We'll see if the Giants can put forth a competitive offer.
More MLB: Giants lock up star third baseman with massive contract extension
