Another big name is set to join the already stacked list of free-agent pitchers.
Two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell has opted out of his current contract with the San Francisco Giants and will test the waters of free agency, the team announced Friday.
Snell joined the Giants as a free agent last summer, signing a two-year, $62 million deal with the team. However, it included an opt-out after the 2024 season, which means the lefty will forgo a $30 million salary in 2025 to instead sign a longer-term deal.
The 31-year-old signed that original contract late, joining the team partway through spring training after a long negotiation and free agent process through the off-season.
Snell was solid in his one year in the Bay Area but missed some time with injuries, finishing with a 5-3 record, 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts over 104.0 innings. He threw a no-hitter, the first of his career, on Aug. 2 against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Seattle, Wash., native has a career 3.19 ERA over nine seasons and has the all-time best strikeout per 9 innings mark in MLB history among qualified pitchers at 11.2.
He joins a free agent class headlined by hurlers like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Jack Flaherty, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, among others.