MLB Report: Prominent team remain “possibility” to sign Cy Award winner despite Yankees offer on table
Giants still Snell possibility despite Yankees offer on table originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Giants ended up having a nice offseason in MLB free agency despite missing out on a couple of their top targets, but another addition to their pitching staff would take the winter from good to great.
And while San Francisco’s full squad already has arrived to spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Giants appear still to be in the running for one heavily sought-after arm — reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
While Snell has a contract offer on the table from the New York Yankees, the Giants and Los Angeles Angels remain “possibilities” to sign the southpaw, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported Monday, citing a source.
Blake Snell has an offer on the table from the Yankees, per source, though the Angels and Giants remain possibilities for the reigning NL Cy Young winner.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 19, 2024
Snell is one of four marquee free agents still on the market represented by super agent Scott Boras, and the Giants have been linked to the pitcher since free agency began as they look to bolster their rotation alongside ace Logan Webb.
After missing out on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Giants traded for former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and signed right-hander Jordan Hicks to a four-year contract.
But despite a pitcher of Snell’s caliber remaining on the market, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said Sunday that San Francisco’s roster in camp likely is the team’s final product — but didn’t rule out further additions.
“[Monday] is our first full-squad workout and it gets kinda harder, not just operationally to add people, but you feel some level of commitment and obligation to the guys who are here competing for jobs,” Zaidi said. “It’s a little bit more disruptive to add at this point and anybody who is a free agent, we’ve theoretically had 3 1/2 months to figure out a deal and if it hasn’t happened yet, at some point organizationally you just need to turn the page and focus on the players you have in-house.
“You never rule anything out, whether it’s now or May or June or whatever, but at this point it’s just where the calendar is. Obviously it makes any further additions unlikely, but again, we’d never close the door on that entirely.”
The clock is winding down for Snell to make a decision, and it’s unclear where the Yankees’ offer stands. In a recent estimate by Forbes.com, Snell is projected to sign a five-year, $175 million contract.
With the Giants reportedly remaining a possibility for Snell, however, it’s hard to resist imagining the Cy Young winner reuniting with manager Bob Melvin in San Francisco.
Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton responds to Brian Cashman’s injury-prone comments
Giancarlo Stanton broke his silence after Brian Cashman’s eye-opening offseason injury comments about the Yankees slugger.
New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton features some of the best power in the game, and he’s looking to bounce back in 2024 following a forgettable 2023 season. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman previously said that he’s expecting Giancarlo Stanton, who has dealt with injury trouble over the past few seasons, to “wind up getting hurt again.” Stanton was asked about those comments on Monday, via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
“He knows my reaction to that,” Stanton said.
Stanton has worked hard to become more mobile and addressed his motivation on Monday as well.
“Be a baseball player again,” Stanton said, via Kirschner.
Yankees: Giancarlo Stanton may be on verge of rebound season
Cashman’s comments likely gave extra motivation to Stanton to work harder than ever this past offseason. He appears to be in shape in camp, and is eyeing a big season.
The 34-year-old appeared in only 101 games in 2023 because of injury concerns. His performance when on the field was abysmal. He recorded a lackluster .191/.275/.420/.695 slash line with 24 home runs and 60 RBI across 415 plate appearances.
The power was still present in 2023. But the Yankees need more from Stanton than the occasional home run. New York’s lineup will be deeper in 2024 as a result of the Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo acquisitions, but Stanton is still a pivotal piece to the puzzle.
Nobody is saying that Stanton needs to hit .300, but the Yankees are looking for consistency from the veteran slugger. Of course, New York is also hopeful that Stanton can spend less time on the injured list as well.
