PHOENIX -- At some point in about a month, the obvious decision will become official.
Blake Snell is going to opt out of the second season of his contract with the Giants and return to free agency, which is exactly what both sides expected when he signed late in the spring. There were some slight doubts during a rough first half, but Snell has pitched so well over the last three months that he might be in an even better position than last winter, when he was coming off a Cy Young campaign.
On Tuesday, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the Giants once again will be in the mix, but they expect Snell to have plenty of suitors.
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"I think (he is) going to be a priority for everybody. I mean, he's been the best pitcher in baseball the second half of the season," Zaidi said. "I just think he's going to go into free agency kind of the same way he did last offseason -- he wants to keep an open mind. We're very encouraged about what he has said about being here, how much he likes being here, how much he has enjoyed his time in San Francisco, how much he likes playing for Bob (Melvin).
"I think we'll be pretty high on his list but I think we're respecting the fact that he's going to want to play out free agency. I expect us to be part of that but it's going to be very competitive with the way he has pitched."
Snell had to settle for a two-year, $62 million deal last offseason, and because he didn't sign until March 19, he got off to an unimaginably poor start, one that contributed to the Giants playing catch-up most of the season. But since returning from the IL on July 9, Snell has a 1.23 ERA and 1.79 FIP in 14 starts, a stretch that includes his first career no-hitter. Snell found an unexpectedly chilly market last winter, but he has made a concerted effort to go deeper into games in the second half, pitching at least six innings in 10 of his last 14 starts.
That was aimed at prospective buyers, and Snell is hopeful that he is not dinged this time around for the perception that high pitch counts keep him from giving teams enough innings. He could benefit from a landscape that should be filled with big-market suitors. The New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers are among the teams that could be looking for an ace after the postseason.
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The Giants would like to bring Snell back, but they have shied away from long-term deals for pitchers in recent years. They certainly regret letting Kevin Gausman walk, but the decision to part ways with Carlos Rodón looks like the right one.
Like Matt Chapman, Snell is represented by Scott Boras, who showed earlier this month that he's not opposed to a pre-free agency extension if the numbers are right. Finding the right range with Chapman was much easier, though. There's no telling how high the bidding for Snell might go if teams feel much more comfortable in pursuing him than they did a year ago.
"I think every guy is different. With Matt it was different," Zaidi said. "I think with Blake our expectation is that this is going to go into the offseason. Maybe we have a seat at the table, but it's going to be a big table."