Is the Blake Snell signing shaping up to be the worst in SF Giants history?

The SF Giants gave starting pitcher Blake Snell a lucrative contract in the offseason. They signed him to a two-year $62 million deal in Spring Training, and it is quickly shaping up to be one of the worst signings in franchise history.

Is the Blake Snell signing shaping up to be the worst in SF Giants history?

The Snell signing was a huge get for the Giants. They had signed last year's Cy Young winner and paired him with the runner up in the NL Cy Young race last year, Logan Webb. The move instantly made the Giants look like potential contenders in the National League.

Snell clearly was not ready for his first few starts with the Giants. He did not have a full Spring Training to prepare and build up his body for the rigors of an MLB season and it showed. He got knocked around in each of his first three starts before an injury had him out of action for a month.

He got healthy and looked phenomenal in his rehab starts. Sure, it was against minor leaguers but he still looked impressive and seemed like he was on track to be Blake Snell at full strength when he returned.

He came back and still struggled. He never made it through the 5th inning and was walking hitters with regularity which, to be fair, is just a part of the way he pitches. Then, in Sunday's game against the Yankees he looked solid. He gave up a home run to Juan Soto but then calmed things down until the 5th inning where he let runners get on and then had to leave due to a groin injury. It just seems like it has been one step forward followed by two steps backwards for Snell this year.

There are a few positives to look at for Giants fans. Snell has notoriously been a slow starter in his career and traditionally pitches his best in the second half of the season. However, if he cannot establish any sort of rhythm or stay healthy in the first half then it is difficult to see him magically turning things around in the second half.

Many presumed that Snell would opt out of his deal with the Giants after the first year of the contract, but at this point that seems like far from a given. If Snell has a rough year riddled by injuries then he will be very reluctant to test free agency. That would mean another year with Snell in San Francisco.

One hopes that he can figure things out at some point while he is in a Giants uniform, but if his injury struggles and poor performance on the mound continue for this year and into the next, he may wind up being one of the worst free agent signings in franchise history.