MLB Insider Makes Strong Future Prediction About San Francisco Giants Ace
![Jul 14, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Oracle Park. Jul 14, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Oracle Park.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_1882,h_1058,x_0,y_53/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/giants_baseball_insider/01j5ntkmr04n93akd957.jpg)
Early on in the season, San Francisco Giants ace starting pitcher Blake Snell appeared to be a massive free agency bust.
He struggled with injury issues and did not play well when he was on the mound. However, since taking the time to get full healthy and returning to the field, Snell has been one of the best pitchers in baseball.
In the month of July, he made four starts. He didn't earn a single decision, but he did post a ridiculous 0.75 ERA with 30 strikeouts and just seven walks across 24.0 innings pitched.
He has backed that up with another stellar month of August. He has started four games this month, going 2-0 to go along with a 1.27 ERA, 40 strikeouts, and just nine walks in 28.1 innings.
Clearly, he has been able to get back to being the dominant version of himself. That has set him up for what could be a very lucrative offseason.
While the Giants would love to have Snell back, he's expected to opt out and explore the free agency market, again.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today has made his prediction for Snell's future, boldly stating that he "will" opt out of his deal.
"Giants ace Blake Snell, after a horrific first half, will exercise his opt-out clause after yielding a 2.08 ERA with 63 strikeouts and a no-hitter in his last eight starts. One thing's for sure: Snell won't wait until spring training to sign this time around."
At 31 years old, Snell is going to be one of the most sought-after free agents on the market, assuming he does opt out.
Plenty of teams around the league will be looking for elite starting pitching. With the way he has pitched, he will be at the top of the list for many of those teams.
There is a chance that San Francisco will be able to re-sign him to a better contract based on what he's proven with his second half performance. He has to like how things have been going and the Giants certainly are a big fan of how he has been playing.
Expect to see Snell end up being one of the most talked about players in free agency this offseason. He has proven that he is still among the best pitchers in the league and will be looking to get paid as such.