San Francisco Giants

Blake Snell is reportedly heading to the San Francisco Giants on a two-year, $62 million contract, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Snell, the 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner, had 234 strikeouts in 180 innings, posting a 2.25 ERA last season. Now, he takes his talents to San Francisco, where he will add to an already-talented rotation.

Here's a look at the Giants' updated pitching rotation with the addition of Snell.

• Blake Snell
• Logan Webb
• Kyle Harrison
• Jordan Hicks
• Alex Cobb

The Giants also have Robbie Ray and Keaton Winn available as starters.

With Snell now on the roster, the Giants have a projected payroll of $162.87 million for the 2024 season, per Spotrac.

In adding Snell, the Giants now have the 2023 Cy Young Award winner as well as the runner-up in Webb. Webb had 196 strikeouts in 216 innings pitched, notching a 3.25 ERA in his fifth MLB campaign.

Landing Snell was just one of several offseason moves the Giants made. They also landed third baseman Matt Chapman, outfielders Jung Hoo Lee and Jorge Soler, and catcher Tom Murphy along with two more pitchers in Hicks and Ray.

San Francisco has struggled in recent years, reaching the postseason just once in the last seven years. The Giants have had just one winning season in that time frame. With a strong rotation now bolstered by Snell along with some pieces around the field, the Giants are looking for a big season in 2024 to get back into the postseason for the first time since 2021.

Starting pitcher Blake Snell is drawing interest from the San Francisco Giants in free agency, per The New York Post's Jon Heyman.

The news comes after reports linked Snell to the Houston Astros. On Friday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome reported the Astros are pursuing the NL Cy Young Award winner, but USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that Houston balked at Snell's asking price.

Snell, 31, threw 234 strikeouts in 180 innings pitched, notching a 2.25 ERA in 312 appearances in 2023.

Snell is reportedly asking for a two-year guaranteed deal worth $60 million that would include an opt-out after the 2024 season. Nightengale reports that the Astros' main concern with Snell's asking price is that it would put them over another luxury tax threshold.

The Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees have all reportedly been linked to Snell in addition to the Giants and the Astros. Nightengale reported that the Giants are "looming" as the favorite to land the lefty.

San Francisco has been to the postseason just once in the last seven seasons. Adding an elite arm to the rotation would help its quest to get back on track.

The Giants are set to have a rotation consisting of Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Robbie Ray, Keaton Winn, Jordan Hicks and Alex Cobb. Adding one of the top pitchers from a year ago would certainly give San Francisco's rotation a boost.

After spending the last three seasons with the San Diego Padres, free-agent pitcher Blake Snell is reportedly believed to be staying on the West Coast.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, MLB team executives "widely believe" that the two-time Cy Young winner "will ultimately sign with the Los Angeles Angels or possibly the San Francisco Giants."

Nightengale noted that the Philadelphia Phillies also "have interest" in Snell, but "only on a one-year or short-term contract."

Earlier this offseason, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that many believed Snell was "seeking a deal worth more than $200 million after winning his second Cy Young Award." However, with Opening Day quickly approaching on March 28, receiving a contract worth that amount appears increasingly less likely.

Signing a short-term deal could be the best possible avenue for Snell at this point. Fellow Scott Boras clients Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman recently signed three-year deals that include opt-outs after the first year with the Chicago Cubs and Giants, respectively, so Snell could be in line for a similar contract.

It should be noted that Snell turned down a qualifying offer from the Padres, so any team that signs him will owe San Diego at least one draft pick. Because of this, teams could be less likely to offer Snell a deal where he opts out after just one year.

Snell was named the NL Cy Young Award winner after going 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA and 234 strikeouts in 2023. Any team that lands him would be getting an ace who can lead the starting rotation, so he likely won't remain unsigned for much longer.

Brandon Crawford has spent his entire career with the San Fransico Giants, but this season the veteran shortstop will join the St. Louis Cardinals.

The move to leave San Fransico wasn't his first choice. He spent 13 seasons with the Giants and wanted to remain with them in 2024, but the front office had other plans, he told The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly.

"The bottom line is I was not wanted back by the one person whose (opinion) matters," said Crawford, referring to Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. "So I went with a team that gave me a major-league contract. The Cardinals have a long history and tradition. I've admired and respected the way the Cardinals have played throughout my career and the way the organization has been run.

"But the bottom line is I wanted to come back to the Giants. That was obviously the ideal situation for me."

According to Baggarly, Crawford met with Zaidi in November and expressed his interest in remaining with the team. He told Zaidi he was even willing to take on a different role on the field while mentoring rookie shortstop Marco Luciano.

Ultimately, Crawford's time in San Francisco came to an end when he signed with the Cardinals on a one-year, $2 million deal.

After Crawford received his offer from the Cardinals, he and his agent, Joel Wolfe, gave the Giants a final chance to keep him around. Zaidi's offer to Crawford ultimately closed the door on his return.

"I was told I could earn the last spot on the roster like anyone else could as a non-roster invitee," Crawford said. "That was the nail in the coffin."

While Crawford has been one of the Giants' top infielders for most of his career, winning three Golden Gloves—his latest in 2021—and helping them win two World Series, his numbers have dipped over the last two seasons. Last year, he had one of the worst statistical years of his career, hitting .194 with 55 hits, seven home runs and 38 RBI.

Now, Crawford will look to round out his career with the Cardinals in an unfamiliar role. St. Lous general manager John Mozeliak said that second-year player Masyn Winn will remain the Cardinals' starting shortstop this season, with Crawford around to offer some veteran guidance.

Free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez reportedly turned down a contract offer from the San Francisco Giants this offseason.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Giants made Martinez an offer, but he "didn't want to go there."

NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic provided more context to the report:

The 36-year-old Martinez, who is still a free agent, spent 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the Giants' main rival. Heyman noted that the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers are a "potential fit" for Martinez.

While Martinez is perhaps in the twilight of his career, he is still a highly productive hitter, which is why it is so surprising that he remains unsigned despite spring training having started.

Martinez has been named an All-Star in each of the past five seasons when an All-Star Game has been held, and he put up monster numbers last season despite only appearing in 113 games.

Serving almost exclusively as a designated hitter, Martinez slashed .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI for a Dodgers team that won the National League West with a 100-62 record.

Martinez had plenty of lineup protection, particularly from a pair of NL MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

There was some thought that Martinez would return to the Dodgers in 2024 after being such a pivotal part of their offensive attack, but any chance of that was ended when L.A. signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking contract this offseason.

Since Ohtani typically only serves as a DH, it left the Dodgers without a spot for Martinez to play and contribute consistently.

Martinez is a six-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and one-time World Series winner who has bounced around quite a bit during his career despite his success, playing for the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox and Dodgers.

In 1,522 career regular-season games, Martinez owns a batting average of .287 with 315 homers and 1,002 RBI.

The Giants' interest in Martinez reportedly came before they filled their DH spot by signing Jorge Soler to a three-year, $42 million deal.

Soler, who will turn 32 on Sunday, is a one-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and one-time World Series MVP who clubbed 36 home runs for the Miami Marlins last season.

Martinez is far from alone in being a high-profile hitter who hasn't yet been signed. The market was slow for hitters this offseason, and he is joined by Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman and Tommy Pham as position players who remain free agents.

The Rangers already have a stacked lineup led by Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis García, Josh Jung and Co., but with no clear-cut DH on their roster, they stand out as a team that could ink Martinez in the coming days.

Veteran third baseman Pablo Sandoval agreed to a minor-league contract with the San Francisco Giants on Monday that includes an invitation to Spring Training amid the 37-year-old's hopeful return to MLB.

NBC Sports' Alex Pavlovic first reported the news on Saturday.

According to Pavlovic, the invite isn't just to provide the longtime Giant a sendoff like they did for Sergio Romo in 2023. Sandoval is looking to make a comeback after being out of the league for a few years.

"Sandoval has been telling friends that he feels great and is trying to make a comeback at the age of 37," Pavlovic wrote.

Sandoval hasn't played in the major leagues since 2021 when he played 69 games for the Atlanta Braves, hitting .178 and notching 13 hits and four home runs.

Since his major league exit in 2021, Sandoval has played for two different organizations in Mexico and he spent part of last fall playing in a league in Dubai. It's not clear whether Sandoval still has what it takes to contribute to the Giants, but he has at least stayed in baseball shape while away from the majors.

Sandoval had two stints in San Francisco—the first coming from 2008 to 2014 and the second coming from 2017 to 2020. He helped San Francisco win three World Series in his first stint, taking home the championship in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

In his 16-year MLB career, Sandoval had a .278 career average with 1,279 hits, 639 RBI and 153 home runs.

Sandoval's Giants comeback might be a stretch despite his history with the club. San Francisco seems set at third base and with a lack of lefties at first base—where Sandoval played in 2020—the Giants will likely be looking to add a left-handed first baseman rather than another righty.

The San Francisco Giants are adding some much-needed power to their lineup after reportedly agreeing to a deal with Jorge Soler.

Per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Soler's deal with the Giants is for three years. MLB insider Mike Rodriguez (h/t Jon Heyman of MLB Network and the New York Post) reported the contract is worth $42 million.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted Soler's decision to opt out of his $13 million salary with the Miami Marlins in 2024 paid off.

Soler joins former KBO MVP Jung-hoo Lee, who signed a six-year, $113 million deal in December, as the big free-agent additions to the Giants' lineup. Here's what that group will look like with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp this week.

2024 Giants Projected Lineup

1. Jung Hoo Lee, CF
2. Thairo Estrada, 2B
3. LaMonte Wade Jr., 1B
4. Jorge Soler, DH
5. Michael Conforto, LF
6. Wilmer Flores, 3B
7. Mike Yastrzemski, RF
8. Patrick Bailey, C
9. Marco Luciano, SS

The Giants' had a $151.2 million payroll prior to Soler's signing. His $14 million average annual salary will push that number up to $165.2 million, just ahead of the San Diego Padres ($161.2 million) for the 13th-highest in MLB.

Even though Giants fans have had their hearts broken in the past two years by superstar free agents choosing not to sign with their team, the front office has done a good job this offseason of filling some lineup holes.

Per Kyle Glaser of Baseball America, Lee projects to be an ideal leadoff hitter who hits for a high average and with strong on-base skills:

"Lee is an exemplary hitter with a fast lefthanded swing and elite-hand eye coordination. He identifies pitches quickly and consistently gets the barrel to the ball, driving hittable pitches on a line to all fields. Lee controls the strike zone with a mature, patient approach, hits both lefties and righties and makes consistent contact against both fastballs and breaking balls. He has the athleticism and bat speed to adjust to higher velocities in MLB and projects to be an above-average-to-plus hitter once he settles in."

Soler will have more swing-and-miss in his game than Lee, but he's improved his contact rates over the course of his career. The 31-year-old had a strikeout rate of 32.1 percent in 1,651 at-bats from 2015 to '20.

In 1,290 at-bats over the past three seasons, Soler's strikeout rate is 28.9 percent. His 11.4 percent walk rate in 2023 was the second-highest of his career (11.7 percent in 2016).

There has been a high level of volatility to Soler's performance throughout his career. He's missed at least 25 games in six of the past nine seasons, including 90 in 2022 due to back and pelvis injuries.

Soler rebounded from that injury by hitting .250/.341/.512 with 36 homers in 137 games ofr the Marlins in 2023. When he hits the ball, it tends to be very hard contact. He ranked in the 81st percentile or better in average exit velocity, barrel percentage and hard-hit percentage last season.

The Giants have been desperate for a true power hitter for years. Even when they were on that run of winning three World Series titles in five seasons from 2010 to '14, they ranked in the bottom half of MLB in homers four times.

No Giants player has hit at least 30 homers in a season since Barry Bonds in 2004 (45). Wilmer Flores was the only player on the team last season that hit at least 20 home runs.

Soler has averaged 26 homers over the past five seasons. He led the AL with 48 dingers during the 2019 season when he played for the Kansas City Royals.

The Giants are still looking up at the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, but their offense has been improved thanks to their two big signings this offseason. They should be able to compete for a wild card spot in the NL if Soler stays healthy in 2024.

Coming off one of the best years of his career, veteran slugger Jorge Soler will reportedly have a new home for the 2024 season.

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Soler has reached an agreement with the San Francisco Giants on a three-year contract. ESPN's Jeff Passan provided additional details:

Soler had become a free agent after he declined the $9 million player option on his contract (which carried $4 million in incentives) for the 2024 season after spending the last two years with the Miami Marlins. The franchise also chose not to extend him a qualifying offer, leaving him free to test the open market and ultimately land with the Giants.

The 31-year-old was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in his 10-year career as the National League's designated hitter. He finished the season with a slash line of .250/.341/.512 along with 36 home runs and 75 RBI across 138 games. It was his second-most homers and RBI in a single season in his career.

A righty power hitter from Havana, Cuba, Soler has also played for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves. He led the American League with a career-high 48 home runs in 2019, and he's a two-time World Series champion—one coming in 2016 with the Royals and the other in 2021 with the Braves.

Soler earned World Series MVP honors in the latter year after hitting .300 with three home runs and six RBI over the six-game series. He became the second Cuban-born player to win the award after Liván Hernández, who did so with the Marlins in 1997.

Thanks to Soler's impressive season, Miami finished with an 84-78 record and made the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Wild Card Series. It was the franchise's first time winning 80 or more games since the 2010 campaign.

Now, Soler will bring his talents to a San Francisco squad that went 79-83 last season and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. He will surely be motivated to try to add another World Series ring to his mantel.