After a 101-win season and an NL West title in 2021, the San Francisco Giants have come back down to earth over the last two years. The Giants have played .500 ball since that impressive season, and that regression was enough to cost manager Gabe Kapler his job. Bob Melvin is the new skipper in the Bay Area, and the expectation was that the club would be big spenders in free agency.

But other than a modest six-year, $113 million contract for Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, the Giants have been unable to reel in any marquee free agents. Their latest whiff came Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who ended up signing with divisional rivals the Los Angeles Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million deal.

With top free agents slowly vacating the marketplace, it is time for the Giants to go all-in on San Diego Padres left-handed pitcher Blake Snell.

Blake Snell, Giants, Giants Free Agency, Giants Pitching

Lack of starting pitching

Logan Webb, Alex Cobb, and Anthony DeSclafani were the only Giants pitchers to make at least 18 starts this year. Seven other pitchers started between seven and 13 games for San Fran as the Giants often blurred the lines between starters and relievers as they frequently employed openers and long relievers. Only three pitchers eclipsed 100 innings pitched for the Giants in 2023 as Gabe Kapler made the most of a pitching staff with a bevy of middling hurlers. San Francisco finished 11th in MLB in team ERA and ninth in pitcher WAR.

The usage of openers and long relievers was enough to keep the Giants treading water for most of the season, but the team does not have enough quality starting pitchers to be a true World Series contender. The trade for Seattle Mariners ace Robbie Ray (giving up Anthony DeSclafani and Mitch Haniger) helps, but Ray is 32 years old and coming off Tommy John surgery. Hoping for Ray to rediscover his Cy Young form is a major ask, and even if he is effective, that still leaves major questions outside of Webb, Cobb, and Ray.

The addition of Blake Snell would provide the Giants with a true ace at the top of his game and give them one of the most feared starting rotations in all of baseball with three legitimate Cy Young candidates. With a pitcher-friendly stadium like Oracle Park, the Giants should harken to the World Series days of the 2010s and make their starting rotation their strongest asset.

Need a headline signing

The Giants have been in the running for every major free agent this winter from Shohei Ohtani to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yet the NL West team has continually come up short. Outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is a solid signing, but he is not the type of free agent who will draw fans to the gates or carry the team to the playoffs.

Several top MLB free agents like Matt Chapman, Josh Hader, and Cody Bellinger are still available, but none fill positions of need for the Giants. The Giants already have their third baseman of the future in J.D., Camilo Doval is an All-Star-level closer, and Bellinger is due for a major regression — especially in a pitcher's park like Oracle. Outside of Chapman and Bellinger, there are no elite-level field players available.

As mentioned before, it is time for the Giants to make starting pitching their strength. There are a few top hurlers still available, including Eduardo Rodriguez and Marcus Stroman, but Blake Snell — the reigning NL Cy Young winner — is easily the best of the bunch. The Giants are in desperate need of a marquee signing, and Blake Snell fits the bill perfectly.