Blake Snell was not moved ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline. Teams such as the New York Yankees were hesitant to acquire Snell given his looming contract option after the season. Jon Heyman noted this in a recent article for the New York Post. Additionally, Heyman revealed what he has heard about Snell's potential decision on his contract option.
“The Yankees — one of at least six teams to check in, along with the Orioles, Dodgers, Padres, Cubs and Rangers — seemed worried about the $30M player option, but two rival GMs opined it would take a ‘catastrophic' or ‘debilitating' injury for Snell to exercise it now, anyway,” Heyman wrote.
Snell may want to test free agency after a disappointing last offseason. He was fresh off a Cy Young Award winning campaign, yet did not sign with a ball club until spring training. Snell is surely hoping to end the '24 campaign on a high note so he can test the free agency waters again and see if he can land a long-term and lucrative deal. Of course, Snell's recent no-hitter will only help his case.
Blake Snell's overall underwhelming 2024 season
Snell dealt with injury trouble early in the year. Since returning, his results have been rather underwhelming aside from the aforementioned no-hitter. Snell currently owns a 4.31 ERA across 12 starts. He has struck out 80 hitters during that span.
For Snell, it all comes down to risk/reward.
He is arguably the best strikeout pitcher in baseball. When Snell is on top of his game, his pitches are absolutely filthy and nearly unhittable. However, the left-handed hurler sometimes loses control of the strike zone and allows free passes.
2023 is the perfect example of the highs and lows of a Blake Snell season. He struck out an impressive amount of hitters, recording 234 strikeouts while pitching to a league leading 2.25 ERA. Snell, though, also led the league in walks with an unsightly mark of 99.
He was terrific at stranding runners on base. But that always isn't the case, which is part of the reason Snell has been inconsistent in his career. He has won two Cy Young Awards, but Snell has also endured a number of forgettable seasons.
Will Snell return to Giants?
Assuming Snell opts out of his deal with the Giants, would he consider returning to San Francisco?
Of course, only Snell and the people closest to him know the answer to that question. It is worth noting that Oracle Park is a pitcher-friendly ball field. That doesn't mean Snell is going to stick around, though.
One rumor in early April even suggested that Snell would have preferred to have signed with the Los Angeles Angels. Snell was also linked to other teams such as the New York Yankees and New York Mets.
Although his 2024 season has not lived up to his expectations, Snell will receive interest in free agency nonetheless. He can do himself a tremendous favor by pitching well down the stretch, however. If Snell can dominate the competition over the next few weeks then he will instantly become one of the most coveted pitchers in free agency if he decides to opt out of his contract.
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