MLB Rumors: Giants may not be done upgrading, even after signing Matt Chapman

Early on in free agency, the San Francisco Giants were linked to top free agents Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, only to see them sign with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. Just like that, the narrative of the Giants missing out on the top free agents available continued. But as the offseason progressed, the Giants have gotten better.

Their first notable move was signing KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million contract, a solid contact hitter to fill their leadoff spot. But on late Friday evening, the Giants added to their infield, signing former Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Matt Chapman to a three-year, $54 million contract. The deal is formatted in an interesting way, as Chapman has opt-out clauses after each of his first two seasons.

If you think the Giants are done heading into Opening Day, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted out after the Chapman signing that even though the Giants made that move, it "does *not* mean they are out" on San Diego Padres starting pitcher Blake Snell. Slusser followed up by saying the Giants "are still very much in" on Snell.

MLB Rumors: Giants 'still very much in' running for Blake Snell after Matt Chapman signing

Snell, along with Chapman, were two of Scott Boras' top clients who remained on the open market heading into spring training. They, along with Cody Bellinger and Jordan Montgomery were called the "Boras Four." Now, it's just Snell and Montgomery remain on the open market, with Chapman and Bellinger signing three-year contracts with opt-outs after the first two seasons with the Giants and Chicago Cubs, respectively.

The Giants know Snell well, considering he was part of the San Diego Padres since the 2021 season when acquiring him from the Tampa Bay Rays. Snell has thrived when facing the Giants in his career, posting a 1.61 ERA, a 1.131 WHIP, a 5-1 win-loss record, 72 strikeouts, and 26 walks in 50.1 innings (nine starts).

This past season, Snell recorded a 2.25 ERA (major league-best), a 1.189 WHIP, a 14-9 win-loss record, 234 strikeouts, and 99 walks in 180.0 innings (32 starts). Snell won the 2023 NL Cy Young Award after putting up these numbers.

Snell has been linked to the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels recently this offseason

Can the Giants sign Snell before the start of the season? We should find out soon enough, especially with Opening Day a matter of weeks away.