We can talk all day about what Snell doesn't bring to the table, with the short version being that he's lacking in reliability.
Because of time spent on the injured list in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, he's made north of 30 starts in a season only twice in eight years. He's also notoriously not a control artist. He's averaged 4.1 walks per nine innings for his career and is coming off a 2023 season in which he led all pitchers with 99 free passes.
When it comes down to it, though, the Giants have gotten one of the best pitchers in MLB on only the league's 98th-biggest active contract.
MLB @MLBBlake Snell was masterful on the mound in his second Cy Young Award campaign.<br><br>(MLB x <a href="">@MattressFirm</a>) <a href="">
It's a steal just to this extent, and it'll be that much more of a steal if Snell has more of what he had to offer in his two Cy Young-winning seasons. He was close to unhittable in both, finishing 2018 with a 1.89 ERA and last year with a 2.25 ERA next to 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a .579 OPS allowed.
Meanwhile, the periphery costs of this deal for the Giants aren't even that bad.
Having already surrendered a second-round pick in the 2024 draft via the Matt Chapman signing, they are only losing a third-round pick plus $500,000 from their international bonus pool with the Snell deal.
