The San Francisco Giants did a little bit of buying and selling at the trade deadline. Strangely, they have begun to play better baseball and have come to within one game of the .500 mark.
Their recent resurgence culminated in a no-hitter thrown by left-hander Blake Snell against the Cincinnati Reds. He had signed with the Giants for two years and $62 million this past offseason and has turned things around after a bad start.
Following the completion of his no-hitter, Bob Nightengale of USA Today predicted that Snell would ultimately exercise his opt-out clause and return to free agency this offseason.
"The way Blake Snell has dominated the past month, he leaves no doubt he'll be exercising that opt-out and will be hitting the free agent market again this winter," Nightengale tweeted on Friday.
Snell signed late and as a result, hasn't put together his best season. He is 1-3 in 11 starts and has posted a 4.29 ERA. He also has spent significant time on the injured list.
However, he appears to have turned the corner and is once again pitching like the ace he was expected to be heading into the season. The reigning National League Cy Young also accomplished something very important, having pitched into the ninth inning for the first time in his career.
The Giants are going to need Snell to continue his upward trend if they want to reach the postseason for the first time since 2021. But his recent resurgence may ultimately allow him to opt out of the final year of his deal and become a free agent again.
If he does return to free agency, it will certainly make for an interesting offseason.
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