The San Francisco Giants have been the talk of MLB trade rumors ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, with many names being mentioned as possible candidates for a move.
There are other players to keep an eye on, but the one that has been getting the most buzz in recent days is star starting pitcher Blake Snell.
A move was unexpected at one point due to his poor play, but his return to form has led to many teams around the league being interested in acquiring the former National League Cy Young Award winner.
It’s unclear if the Giants are actually willing to move him at this point, but if they ultimately decide to trade him, they won’t make it easy.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that San Francisco is not willing to take a cut from Snell’s contract, which includes a $30 million player option for 2025.
The Giants don’t seem willing to pay Blake Snell’s contract, which includes a $30 million player option for 2025. Snell is in great form (.347 OPS over his last four games). Source) But maintaining this attitude would limit the field.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 29, 2024
Obviously, if that is the case, the list of teams interested in acquiring him would shrink.
Snell struggled to start the 2024 MLB season, plagued by injuries, but has consistently displayed superstar potential since returning to full health.
He’s been great in his past four starts, pitching 24.0 innings, allowing just eight hits, two earned runs, seven walks and 30 strikeouts.
Those are the kinds of numbers a championship-contender would want to add before the deadline, and he has the ability to turn a weak team into one of the league’s top World Series contenders.
Looking around the rest of the league, there are plenty of teams in need of starting pitchers, with potential trade candidates including the Cleveland Guardians, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees and Houston Astros.
There are plenty of potential buyers interested in acquiring Snell.
If he is unwilling to pay any signing-on bonus, it will be even more difficult to get the deal done, but that could very well change depending on the offer.
That said, Snell is still a player worth keeping an eye on, and things will likely heat up as the deadline approaches, leading to more reports and rumors surrounding the 31-year-old ace.