Interesting? Yes. Truthful? Who knows.
Thursday wasn’t a day to remember for Blake Snell. For the first time in quite a while, the San Francisco Giants had to win in spite of him, rather than because of him, and they did exactly that. Snell lasted just one inning due to an inflated pitch count, but Landen Roupp, Erik Miller, Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, and Ryan Walker combined for eight scoreless innings as the Giants walked-off the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But while it wasn’t a memorable day for Snell, it was a day in which he inadvertently ended up in the news cycle.
Shortly before the game began, the Giants had a press conference discussing the six-year extension that Matt Chapman had signed, which was announced late on Wednesday night. Chapman was obviously there, alongside manager Bob Melvin, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, and Chapman’s agent, Scott Boras.
It wasn’t the first time that Boras had been at a Giants facility to celebrate a contract being signed. The last time was in Scottsdale half a year ago, when Boras was at the team’s Spring Training stadium to put ink to paper with … that’s right … Snell.
Snell is one of Boras’ many high-profile clients who is set to hit free agency this offseason, joining a crew that includes Juan Soto, Alex Bregman, and Corbin Burnes, among others. And if there’s one thing that Boras has been known for, it’s getting all of his clients to free agency where they can drive up the price … it’s perhaps the thing that stood out most about Chapman agreeing to an extension. We’re simply not used to seeing that from Boras’ clients.
If it’s a changing of Boras’ ways, then you can bet that the Giants used the time while the uber-agent was in town to discuss a Snell extension. And according to slightly-cryptic comments from Snell, it seems like the two-time Cy Young winner is amenable to that.
With news of Chapman’s extension hanging in the air, Snell was asked by reporters about the possibility of him signing a new deal as well. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Shayna Rubin, the southpaw said, “If that’s something they want to talk about, I’m open to it. I’ve enjoyed my time here a lot. Fans have been hounding me about it, but truthfully it’s up to (the Giants).”
It’s hard to know that means. Snell could have easily said something more noncommittal (“we’ll wait until the offseason and then talk”), so it’s possible that he’s already approached the Giants, and Boras and Co. are waiting to see if San Francisco will take the offer that’s on the table. It also might just be Snell’s iteration of what Burnes said last offseason when asked about an extension: “It would have to be something that would just absolutely blow you away to get you away from testing the free agent market.” Boras may not make a habit of signing extensions, but he would obviously make an exception if the Giants were to put forth a comical offer.
It has become clear that Snell would love to stay with the Giants. He’s very openly taken a liking to the city, the organization, and his teammates, and has a good relationship with Melvin (who managed Snell last year in San Diego). And it’s hard for a left-handed pitcher to do better than pitching at Oracle Park with Patrick Bailey behind the dish and Chapman manning third base.
But, whether it’s an extension or a free agent offering, the Giants aren’t going to sign Snell to another deal without offering many years and many more dollars, and to this point they’ve been unwilling to do that for pitchers. We’ll see if that’s set to change.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants visit the San Diego Padres tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.