Does the Ross Stripling trade mean the SF Giants will make a run at Blake Snell?

The SF Giants traded right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling to the Oakland A's on Friday in exchange for outfield prospect Jonah Cox. The motive for this move was to dump salary. Could this move mean that the Giants may make a run at the best remaining pitcher on the market in Blake Snell?

Does the Ross Stripling trade mean the SF Giants will make a run at Blake Snell?

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported on X, formerly Twitter, that the Giants will pay down $3.25 million of Stripling's $12.5 million salary, saving them roughly $9 million. This immediately led to speculation that another move could be imminent.

As it stands, the Giants would have a rotation that consists of Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Keaton Winn, and Tristan Beck. Outside of Webb, that is a lot of question marks to have in a starting rotation.

Even though Farhan Zaidi seemed to suggest that the Giants were done adding to the rotation after signing Jordan Hicks. Perhaps, the front office has decided that they need to get stronger in that department, especially with both Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray on the shelf for the first few months of the season.

Snell is the top pitcher remaining on the market, and he is coming off a stellar Cy Young season with the San Diego Padres. He played under Bob Melvin last year and prior relationships do help in luring free agents.

The one catch is that Snell will likely command a ton of money. He is a two-time Cy Young winner coming off a great year and is represented by Scott Boras. Boras is known for waiting out the market in an effort to get his clients the biggest payday possible. Not surprisingly, this sluggish offseason could be attributed to Boras and the many clients he represents, including Snell.

It would not shock any Giants fans if they do not sign Snell. His contract would go against the grain for a front office that has proven time and again that it is not too keen on handing out long-term deals.

There are still other starters out there that could make sense for them like Jordan Montgomery or Brandon Woodruff. Neither one is as splashy as Snell, but the Giants would surely view both of them as an upgrade over Stripling going into 2024.

It is unclear what the Giants plan to do next, but the Stripling move definitely feels like a precursor to another move. And, one that could happen sooner rather than later.