Breaking: Blake Snell Makes Huge Contract Decision

Blake Snell had a big decision to make as he held a $30 million player option for 2025 with the San Francisco Giants. Should he take it, and guarantee himself the money for next year, or decline and head back into free agency, which was a frustrating experience for him last year?

After his monstrous Cy Young-like run in the second half of 2024, his decision, as expected, was an easy one. Snell has opted out to become a free agent.

As expected, Blake Snell exercised his opt-out clause and became a free agent.
— Maria I. Guardado (@mi_guardado) November 1, 2024

The two-time Cy Young Award winner finished the season on an epic roll in his final 14 starts, posting a 1.23 ERA with 114 strikeouts over 80 1/3 innings, a run which included a no-hitter. He's now ready to cash in on the big free agent deal that he didn't land last offseason.

Will his agent Scott Boras hold him back again until close to Opening Day like he did in '24? That is highly unlikely, as the whole free agency thing didn't quite work out the way Snell would have hoped last year. He was coming off his second Cy Young Award, yet didn't have a deal in place until the end of Spring Training, which messed up his pitching in the early part of the season.

MLB Insider Jim Bowden has made a 'bold prediction' that Snell will sign a three-year, $100 million dollar deal with the Baltimore Orioles this winter, but the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs and LA Dodgers are other teams that will be on the hunt for top starters, and they will be in the chase as well.