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3 SF Giants players with easy option decisions looming

By Jeff Young |
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San Francisco Giants v Baltimore Orioles / Patrick Smith/GettyImages
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Once the World Series concludes, baseball pretty quickly transitions to offseason mode. For the SF Giants, the offseason will begin with a trio of easy option decisions from Blake Snell, Robbie Ray, and Wilmer Flores.

3 SF Giants players with easy option decisions looming

Oftentimes, there is some level of uncertainty when it comes to option decisions. Players may not fully know what their decision will be until the deadline.

For example, Michael Conforto was thought to be opting out last offseason but that did not come to fruition. He decided to stick with the Giants for the remainder of his two-year, $36 million pact. This year will likely have no surprises as the option decisions are nearly certain at this point.

1. Blake Snell

Blake Snell signed a two-year, $62 million pact right before the end of spring training. This includes an opt-out after the first season. The late signing likely affected the two-time Cy Young winner in the first half as he struggled with both injuries and underperformance.

Perhaps, if the Giants could go back and do it again, they would have allowed Snell to build up his arm strength naturally rather than pitch in a competitive game in the second week of the year after missing the entire Cactus League. Spring training is six weeks for a reason.

Once the southpaw pitcher found his footing, he was arguably the best arm in the second half of the year. Starting in July, Snell posted a 1.23 ERA with 114 strikeouts and 30 walks in 80.1 innings for San Francisco. He actually had more starts (14) than earned runs allowed (11) during that stretch.

Somewhat controversially, Snell did not make his final start of the year. There was nothing to be gained for him or the Giants if he did. The club was already out of playoff contention, so it did not make any sense to make one final turn on the mound.

Snell looked poised to land a lucractive, long-term deal in free agency last winter. However, that did not come to fruition. With another quality season under his belt, he will opt out and take another chance in free agency. There is a good chance that he finally gets that payday he hoped to get last winter.

San Francisco Giants v Seattle Mariners
San Francisco Giants v Seattle Mariners / Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/GettyImages

3 SF Giants players with easy option decisions looming

2. Robbie Ray

When the Giants traded for Robbie Ray last offseason, they knew some patience was required as he was still recovering from Tommy John surgery. They also took on a substantial financial commitment in making this move.

The veteran pitcher signed a five-year, $115 million pact with the Seattle Mariners before the 2022 season. This included an opt-out after the 2024 season.

Given that Ray was going to miss the first half of the season while coming off of major elbow surgery, it was going to take a lot of good fortune for him to even consider opting out. When he did make it back to the mound, he demonstrated some of the growing pains that are common with pitchers following the procedure. It often takes a pitcher two years before they even get back to their pre-injury form.

The good news is that Ray is inching closer to that mark. However, it will not come before a major contract decision. He pitched to a 4.70 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 15 walks in 30.2 innings this season before finishing the year on the injured list with a hamstring strain.

The 33-year-old pitcher did regain his fastball velocity and demonstrated the swing-and-miss stuff that made him a solid rotation arm before the surgery. However, the control left a bit to be desired and that was to be expected.

Ray has a relatively easy decision. He will likely opt in to the remainder of his deal. He is owed $50 million over the next two seasons, but his Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) hit is slightly lower at $23 million per season through 2026.

Minnesota Twins v San Francisco Giants
Minnesota Twins v San Francisco Giants / Lachlan Cunningham/GettyImages

3 SF Giants players with easy option decisions looming

3. Wilmer Flores

Not much went right for Wilmer Flores in 2024. He never actually looked healthy at the plate and his numbers took a pretty sharp downward turn as a result before finishing the season on the injured list.

The good news is that Flores has assurances of guaranteed money in 2025. If he was an unrestricted free agent, he might struggle to get a major league deal given how badly he hit in 2024.

The righty bat posted a .206/.277/.318 line (68 wRC+) with four home runs, 26 RBI, and 19 runs in 242 plate appearances this season. That was his worst wRC+ since he registered a 51 wRC+ in 101 plate appearances as a rookie in 2013.

That said, Flores is just one year removed from recording an .863 OPS with 23 home runs and 60 RBI in 454 plate appearances. For much of his Giants tenure, he has been one of the more steady producers in the lineup. The 2024 campaign was an obvious exception to that.

Flores' contract includes a mutual option for 2025. The first part is a $3.5 million player option. If he declines that, then it becomes an $8.5 million club option. Mutual options are rarely ever exercised by both parties.

Though, the Giants likely will not have a say in the matter. Flores will exercise his player option for next season. This could be a case where he begins the offseason on the books while the Giants look to move the veteran bat. However, if they do not find a taker, then they will hope for a rebound season. One way or another, his contract will begin the offseason on the books.

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