Blake Snell, a left-handed pitcher and two-time Cy Young Award recipient, has chosen to opt out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants, marking his second consecutive offseason as a free agent.

In March, Snell had signed a lucrative two-year deal worth $62 million which included a $17 million signing bonus set to be paid on January 15, 2026. His contract stipulated a $15 million salary for the 2024 season and a $30 million salary for 2025, with half of the latter deferred until July 1, 2027.

The 31-year-old had a solid season, finishing with a record of 5-3 and posting a 3.12 ERA over 20 starts. Notably, he achieved a no-hitter against Cincinnati on August 2, which accounted for one of the only 16 individual shutouts recorded in Major League Baseball this year. Throughout his tenure on the mound, he struck out 145 batters while issuing 44 walks across a total of 104 innings.

However, Snell’s season was not without challenges, as he missed time due to injuries; he was sidelined from April 19 to May 22 due to a strained left adductor and again from June 2 to July 9 because of a strained left groin.

Snell captured his first Cy Young Award in 2018 while with the Tampa Bay Rays, followed by a second win in 2023 during his time with the San Diego Padres. Over his nine-year career with the Rays, Padres, and Giants, he has compiled a record of 76 wins and 58 losses, accompanied by a 3.19 ERA.

Due to the fact that Snell declined a qualifying offer from San Diego last November, San Francisco cannot extend him a qualifying offer this offseason. Consequently, the Giants will not receive any draft pick compensation should he choose to sign with another team.