Giants Leaders to Sign NL Cy Young Winner Blake Snell in Free Agency.

The San Francisco Giants look like the top candidate to sign reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale.

Snell may not sign with a new team until fellow free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto finalizes his own deal, according to Nightengale. Yamamoto’s contract is expected to exceed $300 million.

The starter led the NL with a 2.25 ERA and threw a career-best 234 strikeouts with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He finished the season with a 14-9 record through 32 starts and 180.0 innings pitched.

Snell declined a $20.325 million qualifying offer from the Padres in order to test free agency this offseason.

The Giants have been consistently reported as a candidate for the biggest starting pitchers available this offseason. After struggling with consistency in their 2023 starting rotation, the team is looking to return to playoff contention by adding veteran talent to back up NL Cy Young Award finalist Logan Webb.

San Francisco was in the running for star two-way player Shohei Ohtani, to the point where they agreed to the 10-year, $700 million deal with $680 million deferred that Ohtani eventually received from the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan.

To add insult to the injury of Ohtani signing with a perennial rival, former Giants star Buster Posey told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly earlier this week that the team’s bid for Ohtani was impacted by the perception of “the state of the city” in regards to crime in San Francisco.

The Giants have also offered more than $300 million for Yamamoto, a 25-year-old Japanese league star expected to become a starter in the MLB, according to CBS Sports’ Jim Bowden.

If the Yamamoto bid doesn’t work out, the Giants could turn to a proven quantity in Snell, who pitched for newly hired manager Bob Melvin in San Diego.

In addition to adding a veteran starter to their rotation, the Giants’ acquisition of Snell would give the team a chance to counter the Dodgers’ addition of Ohtani. Snell has a career 13-2 record and 2.59 ERA against Los Angeles.