MLB Insider Calls This Giants Signing Worst in Free Agency

The San Francisco Giants’ signing of Cy Young winner Blake Snell certainly hasn’t worked out as hoped.

Jun 2, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Injured San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell will need one more rehab start before the team will consider activating him and returning him to the rotation. That start is likely to come on Wednesday.

His return won’t erase what has been a horrible start for the reigning National League Cy Young winner.

Much more was expected from him after the Giants signed him to a two-year deal in March. But, Snell’s signing is the worst of this free agency cycle, at least according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

The Giants signed Snell to a two-year deal, one that includes $32 million this year, part of which is a signing bonus. The deal also comes with a player option in 2025 of $30 million. As Nightengale and many others pointed out at the time, Snell was likely to use that opt out to return to free agency and get a longer deal after this season.

Now? The 31-year-old might be wise to consider remaining in San Francisco, even if the Giants might not want him past this year.

When San Francisco signed him in late March, the belief was that he had kept himself in shape enough to start the season in the Majors.

That proved to be inaccurate and, frankly, calamitous for a rotation that has been dealing with injuries all season and already had two veteran starters on the long-term injured list in Robbie Ray and Alex Cobb.

On the field, Snell has not pitched like anything close to a two-time Cy Young winner. In six starts he is 0-3 with a 9.51 ERA in 23.2 innings. He’s never gone five innings in a start and he carries a negative 1.1 WAR (wins above replacement).

Nightengale offered some perspective on just how bad it’s been this season.

“Snell has already given up more earned runs (25) in six starts with the Giants than he did in is his final 23 starts (18 earned runs) for the Padres last season,” Nightengale wrote.

The left-hander might be further along it could have remained healthy.

He took three turns in the rotation before he suffered a left adductor muscle injury that put him on the 15-day injured list in mid-April, which caused him to miss a month.

He then went back on the 15-day IL on June 3, a day after he left a start against the New York Yankees with a groin injury. The injury was not related to his previous injury.

All of it has added up to Snell not being the pitcher he was a year ago, when he went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA in 32 starts with 234 strikeouts and 99 walks.

The good news is the Giants are still in the NL Wild Card race and there is time for Snell to make an impact — assuming he can get healthy and pitch more like himself.

But, for now, his deal has been a bust for the Giants.