This pitcher could be a great backup plan for SF Giants if Snell departs

The SF Giants seem likely to lose star pitcher Blake Snell in free agency. If they do, they need to have a backup plan. They could have a perfect option in the left-handed ace of the Atlanta Braves Max Fried.

Snell is not a guarantee to leave, of course. If the Giants give him a sizable long-term deal he may choose to stay in the pitcher-friendly confines of Oracle Park where it would not be out of the question for him to take home another Cy Young Award. That would be the third of his career and could make him a near-lock to be in the Hall of Fame.

Or maybe he will just take a massive contract from the Yankees or Dodgers like most people expect him to. Who knows what he wants. It would certainly not surprise anyone if he is playing somewhere else next season.

SF Giants should replace Blake Snell with Max Fried

If he does depart San Francisco, he will leave the starting rotation in an uncomfortable place. The Giants would still have Logan Webb as their ace and the rest of the rotation would probably consist of Robbie Ray, Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, and Jordan Hicks.

While Webb has been very consistent the last few years, the rest of the rotation consists of lots of question marks. All four of those guys pitched gems last season but they also struggled and some dealt with injuries.

That is why it would be very nice for the Giants to add another top of the line starter along with Webb at the top of the rotation. Max Fried would fit that bill perfectly.

Fried has been an elite starter for several years with Atlanta. He is a 2-time All-Star and this season with the Braves saw him post an ERA of 3.25 in 29 starts and 174 and 1/3 innings pitched. He had 166 strikeouts compared to 57 walks. Fried is not able to strike batters out at the same rate as Snell but he has more reliable control.

Fried will be 31 next season. The Giants could give him a long-term deal in the 5-year range to ensure that they have an elite starter along with Webb for the foreseeable future.

Losing Snell would be a big loss for the Giants, but adding an established starter in Fried would make that loss hurt a lot less and would give the Giants a much stronger rotation in 2025.