Another San Francisco Giants Superstar Expected to Opt-Out of Contract

Another superstar's named has been added to the list of players who are expected to opt out of their contracts with the San Francisco Giants.

D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

It's been an interesting week for the San Francisco Giants. They have gone 5-5 in their last 10 games, the story of their season, and sit 4.0 games out of a wild card spot.

They also learned that ace and two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell will opt-out of his two-year, $62 million contract after just the first year. A year that has seen more lows than highs despite a very good recent stretch.

San Francisco also learned that superstar third baseman Matt Chapman will also opt-out of his three-year, $54 million contract after just his first year as well according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

But there is a stark difference in the two. Snell, having signed during spring training, was always likely to opt-out of his contract, especially if he had a strong season. The Giants were essentially a stop-gap for the ace.

Now, he is expected to pursue the open market and his return to San Francisco is in the air. One would expect that Snell won't return to the Giants.

Chapman on the other hand is wanting to work out an extension with San Francisco. And the Giants are expected to approach on the matter of an extension. He appears to be happy in San Francisco, but like Snell, signed a stop-gap contract very late into the offseason so he could get on the field.

He is one of the best defensive third basemen in the league and he currently is having one of his best offensive seasons at the plate. If the Giants expect to contend in the coming years for a World Series, then they will have to find an ace and a way to retain Chapman.

The latter should not be an issue. The former will be a bit tricker as the price of pitching goes up every year while the supply of ace-level pitchers remains contant and few.