MLB insider offers contrasting report to SF Giants plans with lefty starter

If the SF Giants decide to sell, the eyes will shift to veteran starter Blake Snell as he would immediately become the biggest name on the market. However, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal told the Foul Territory podcast that he does not expect Snell to be moved before the deadline.

MLB insider offers contrasting report to SF Giants plans with lefty starter

The games leading up to the trade deadline tend to carry added weight as teams solidify their plans. The Giants looked like sellers in the middle of last week, but they won four straight games against the Colorado Rockies over the weekend.

They now only sit 3.5 games behind the New York Mets for the third and final Wild Card spot. Of course, there are three teams between them and New York as well.

As recently as Sunday morning, rival executives believed that the Giants would sell at the deadline with Snell being one of the likelier players to be moved. A handful of teams have expressed interest in the southpaw pitcher, so there would be a healthy market.

Of course, the major roadblock is that Snell has an opt-out after the first year of his two-year, $62 million pact. After a rough first half to the season, it looked like a good chance that he would opt into the final year of that deal. However, things can change quickly in baseball.

Overall, the lefty pitcher has a 5.10 ERA in 10 starts with San Francisco. In his last four starts, he has allowed two earned runs with 30 strikeouts against seven walks in 30 innings of work. The lefty has looked more like the pitcher the Giants were hoping they would get when they signed him late in the offseason. Now, it looks like a good bet that he will opt out of his deal.

However, it could be too little too late for this team. The Giants have a 53-55 record and would need to go 32-22 in the final 54 games of the season to reach 85 wins. That will be in the neighborhood of what it will take to reach the playoffs this year.

If the Giants are unable to move Snell at the trade deadline, it is a sign that they will be banking on the rotation being at full strength. Snell has not been the only noteworthy Giants pitcher lately. Robbie Ray had an electric debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers last week.

Snell and Ray along with Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, and Hayden Birdsong would be a formidable rotation. The Giants have only seen this rotation for one turn, but the upside is there. If Snell sticks around through the end of the season, the front office will be banking on this unit to carry them down the stretch. They do not have much of a sample to evaluate, so there is plenty of risk involved but it might be the only option that the front office can pursue.