CLUTCH: SF Giants STUN Rangers with WILD Walk-Off | Is San Francisco’s Late-Game Magic SUSTAINABLE?
The San Francisco Giants suffered a major loss during the MLB offseason when starting pitcher Blake Snell opted out of his contract to hit free agency for the second year in a row.
After finding an underwhelming market ahead of the 2024 campaign, he signed a two-year deal with the Giants to bolster his resum
It worked, performing as one of the best pitchers in baseball from July through the end of the season.
Looking to cash in, he declined his option and hit the open market.
It turned out to be the right decision for him, landing the lucrative deal he was seeking. Unfortunately for the Giants, the pain of losing him had salt poured into the wound when he signed a contract with their National League West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The two sides agreed to a five-year, $182 million deal, creating a major void in the San Francisco starting rotation.
That still exists behind their ace Logan Webb since the only Major League addition made this offseason was the signing of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander to a one-year, $15 millIt was unrealistic to expect Verlander to replicate the kind of impact that Snell was able to provide during his one season in the Bay Area.
Verlander has a 4.99 ERA across his first six starts and 30.2 innings pitched with the Giants, and while that is certainly not as impactful as Snell was for the team, there is one area where the pitching legend has proven to be better in than the current star; durability.
San Francisco may have dodged a huge bullet not bringing Snell back on a long-term deal given his spotty track record when it comes to health.ion deal.e.
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