SF Giants turncoat finally returns for Dodgers after lengthy absence

The Los Angeles Dodgers got back starting pitcher Blake Snell over the weekend. The former SF Giants pitcher has been on the shelf due to injury for most of this season, but he is back to help Los Angeles in the second half.

Snell looked decent on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing three runs and five hits while pitching five innings and striking out eight batters in the process while not walking anyone. It was the third start of the year for Snell and his first appearance since April.

SF Giants turncoat Blake Snell finally returns for the Dodgers

Snell was a member of the Giants last season but he opted out of his deal after a really solid second half with San Francisco. He wound up signing with the arch rival Dodgers which was a bit of a gut punch for Giants fans.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner said the Giants never even reached out to him about a contract. It seems the front office was wary of overpaying for a starter with an extensive injury history who was terrible in the first half of last season before turning it around later in the year.

After Snell's injury struggles this year, it seemed like the Giants were wise to have steered clear of Snell in free agency. We will see how that five-year, $182 million deal ages, but as Snell gets older it seems unlikely that his injury woes are going to dissipate.

Snell is notorious for being a second half pitcher. For a team like the Dodgers that has so much talent and money that they can afford to overpay for a guy who they really only need to be sharp in October, signing Snell makes sense. But for a team like the Giants whose path to the playoffs is most likely going to come via a Wild Card berth, they need a starting pitcher they can rely on more throughout the regular season.

While Snell was not able to face his former team in the first half, he may very well face them at some point if he stays healthy the rest of this season. The Giants play two more series against the Dodgers this season, one in San Francisco and one in Los Angeles both in September.

Even if there are a disgusting amount of Dodgers fans at Giants home games these days, there should be a large amount of boos for Snell if he takes the mound at Oracle Park later this season.

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