Two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell will enter free agency after one season with the San Francisco Giants. Snell declined his $38.5 million player option and will become a free agent ahead of the 2025 season, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale .
The pitcher earned $15 million in 2025, and was set to receive a $17 million signing bonus on Jan. 15. Snell was also scheduled to have $15 million of his 2025 salary deferred until July 1, 2027.
Snell taking his 2025 option looked like an all but forgone conclusion as the reigning Cy Young winner struggled early in his age-31 season, pitching a 10.42 ERA through 19.0 innings in his first five starts of the campaign.
After a stint on the IL, Snell's season began to improve when he returned to the rotation in July. Through his final eight starts of the campaign he posted a 1.31 ERA, allowing 65 strikeouts to 19 walks and pitching an Aug.
2 no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. The nine inning effort sealed the first no-no of Snell's career, helping lower his full-season ERA to 3.12 and raising the expectation he would opt out of his San Francisco deal in order to seek a longer-term contract.
The Giants could now seek to re-sign Snell by offering him a longer-term deal. Snell has not gotten the opportunity to pitch in a postseason game since his 2022 season with the San Diego Padres, and after a disappointing 2024 campaign it is not clear if that will change in San Francisco. Despite bringing in manager Bob Melvin, spending money o.