Blake Snell had to wait until the middle of March to finally agree to terms with an MLB team, but there were no hiccups once he reached a deal.
Snell's two-year, $62 million contract with the Giants is official after he passed a physical on Tuesday in Scottsdale. The new co-ace will be introduced on Wednesday morning at Scottsdale Stadium.
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Snell has an opt-out after the 2024 MLB season, but if he stays both years he'll be guaranteed $62 million. He'll make $15 million in base salary this season with a $17 million signing bonus that is due next January 15. Snell's salary for 2025 is $30 million, with $15 million deferred to 2027.
The 31-year-old found an unexpectedly cool market after winning his second Cy Young Award, but he has been throwing while waiting for a deal to come together and should be able to get into an exhibition game for the Giants shortly. At some point, Snell will slot in behind Logan Webb, who finished second in the Cy Young voting last year.
The Giants will become the first team since the 2003 Arizona Diamondbacks (Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling) to have the top two in Cy Young voting on the same team the following season. Snell's addition gives them a rotation that has the potential to be the best in the NL once healthy, and it might not be long before they're close to full strength. Alex Cobb's rehab from hip surgery has gone so well that he'll make a second spring appearance on Friday and could be in the mix in early April. Robbie Ray, a Cy Young winner himself, is tracking to be back in July.
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Snell's addition brought the Giants back to 40 with their 40-man roster. A spot was cleared last week when J.D. Davis was released, but the Giants soon will need to make other moves. They'll need a spot for Nick Ahmed, the likely starting shortstop, and might need two non-roster invitees in their Opening Day bullpen.
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