Is two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell's Giants tenure destined to end?

Following his return from injury July 9, San Francisco Giants starter Blake Snell pitched just as the club had expected when they signed the the two-time Cy Young winner to a two-year, $62M deal in the offseason.

In nine starts since coming off the injured list, the 31-year-old left-hander has allowed eight runs and averaged 6 1/3 innings and 8.3 strikeouts per appearance. But Snell, a victim of poor run support, has won only two of those games. 

Now, it's fair to wonder: Will Snell, who has a player option for 2025, return to the team next season?

After prolonged negotiations in the offseason — Snell didn't sign until mid-March — he played catch-up in the first half of the regular season. Dealing with multiple injuries and frustrating rehab, he logged a 9.51 ERA in just six starts entering July.

But over his recent hot streak, Snell has lowered his ERA to 3.76, which is good news for San Francisco (67-68), a long shot to make the playoffs as a wild card. Could this resurgence by Snell — who will start Friday against the Miami Marlins — give him pause about sticking with the middling Giants? 

Instead of remaining in San Francisco, Snell could set the bar for starting pitchers this offseason with a splash signing. His recent outings have shown he is still an elite option worth far more than the remaining $38.5 million of his contract with the Giants in 2025.

Texas Rangers veteran ace Max Scherzer is currently baseball's highest-paid starting pitcher (excluding the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani), earning $43.3M in 2024. Snell could surpass that this winter. Scherzer, it should be mentioned, is set to enter free agency this offseason along with aces Max Fried (Atlanta Braves), Jordan Montgomery (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Corbin Burnes (Baltimore Orioles). 

So there should be a competitive market for starting pitchers this offseason, which should inflate the asking price for these aces, including Snell if he chooses to opt out of his current contract.

"You can’t control it," Snell said recently about free agency, per The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly. "You can’t get upset about it the way it is. Just pitch better, find a way to do better, continue to compete. Whatever you believe you deserve, you go earn it."

No matter what path Snell takes, his decision on the player option will be one of the top storylines of the offseason.