San Francisco Giants Linked as a Threat To Steal Atlanta Braves’ Ace

The San Francisco Giants might end up targeting an Atlanta Braves' ace this offseason.

Aug 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Truist Park. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants are still attempting to make a run at getting into the MLB postseason. Unfortunately, that is an unlikely scenario and the franchise will likely head into the offseason looking to make moves to get back into contention in 2025.

Looking ahead to the offseason, the Giants are going to be facing some tough situations. Both Matt Chapman and Blake Snell are expected to opt out of their current deals to test free agency.

San Francisco would prefer to keep both of those players. However, that will not be an easy thing to do. Plenty of teams around the league will have interest in both of them.

Should the Giants end up losing Snell or Chapman, they would need to pivot and find suitable replacements.

When it comes to Snell, there is one name that has already been suggested as a target for San Francisco.

Curt Bishop of The Sporting News has suggested that the Giants could pivot to pursuing Atlanta Braves impending free agent starter Max Fried if they lose Snell.

"Fried's market will certainly be competitive, but in the event that the Giants lose Snell, they should be one of the teams in on the Braves left-hander. The 30-year-old is 8-7 in 23 starts with a 3.50 ERA this season. He has also logged 133 2/3 innings, punched out 126 batters, and posted a 1.20 WHIP. Fried is also a California native, and though he grew up in Southern California, he would still be experiencing a homecoming of sorts if he were to sign with the Giants, albeit on the other side of the state."

Making a move for Fried would certainly make sense. He's the kind of piece that could immediately replace Snell at the top of the rotation and help them rebound from that loss.

At 30 years old, Fried could be a piece that leads San Francisco's rotation for at least four or five years. He would be well worth a look if Snell leaves town.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what ends up happening this offseason. The Giants have some money to spend and there are a lot of quality players hitting the market.

Fried will be one potential target, but it's likely that San Francisco is heading into a very busy offseason with plenty of opportunities to improve and add talent.