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Why Giants shouldn't re-sign Blake Snell this offseason, according to JT Snow – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The Giants will likely try to retain star Blake Snell.

However, not everyone is sure that San Francisco should make an effort to keep the left-hander.

One Snell denier is former Giants first baseman JT Snow. Speaking to KNBR's “Tolbert and Copes” on Wednesday, Snow explained why he doesn't want to see Snell in a Giants jersey again.

“I wouldn’t sign him,” Snow told Tom Tolbert and Adam Copeland. “I would spend the money and get some other pitchers who might be able to take me [into] the sixth and seventh innings. I had a problem on Saturday with him not receiving the ball and I understand he doesn't want to get hurt.

“You won’t get hurt. Go throw. Show it to the fans and acknowledge the fans, throw three or four innings and then leave the game.”

Snell was scheduled to start Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals in a game that didn't matter to either team. The 31-year-old, who is expected to opt out of his Giants contract and head to MLB free agency, chose not to throw to avoid injury, which angered Snow.

No matter how you spin it, Snell had a year-long test run in San Francisco.

He was a late-season addition and missed spring training entirely. Worse, Snell allowed 25 earned runs in his first six Giants starts. But Snell improved significantly as he aged into the 2024 MLB season, finishing with a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts over 104 innings. He also threw the 18th no-hitter in Giants history on August 2 against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Still, Snow says he would pass up the 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner.

“He came out of a game having thrown 42 pitches in one inning,” Snow recalled of Snell. “He didn’t want to go to spring training. His season got off to a slow start. I have a problem with giving pitchers this age long-term contracts. They don't play every day, but every five days.

“I would get two or three good starters and then a few guys on defense who can hit a little bit. That would make the team better. I probably wouldn’t go after Blake Snell.”

The Giants need to improve in several areas. First and foremost, new president of baseball operations Buster Posey must find a general manager for San Francisco.

But Snow won't budge from the opinion that the Giants shouldn't prioritize Snell. Regardless of what Snow says, Snell is expected to have plenty of potential suitors in the upcoming offseason.

Snell has expressed his desire to remain in San Francisco. Certainly the Giants will take a long look at him.

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