San Francisco Giants May Have Dodged a Bullet by Losing Former Ace in Free Agency

The San Francisco Giants suffered a huge loss in free agency, but it may have been a blessing in disguise.

Sep 22, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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 resume.

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 million deal.

It 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.

He is already on the injured list for the Dodgers, which has led to Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated giving his signing in Los Angeles an incomplete grade.

“Snell managed just two starts before landing on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation, so there’s no grade for him here. His stuff wasn’t nearly as crisp as usual in those two outings, and it’s unclear how long he’ll be on the shelf,” shared the MLB writer.

Injuries are nothing new for the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

He has reached 180 innings pitched only two times in his career -- 2018 and 2023 -- when he took home the prestigious award with the Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres.

Snell possesses elite put away stuff with an 11.2 K/9 ratio, which is the all-time record according to Baseball Reference.

When he is on the mound, he is as dominant as any pitcher in the game.

But keeping him on the mound is easier said than done, and now that he is 32 years old, it won’t get any easier avoiding injuries.