Starting pitcher Blake Snell opted out of his contract with the San Francisco Giants. He will return to the free agent market after just one season.

The 31-year-old left-hander refused a $38.5 million player option seek a longer-term agreement. This would have been his contract year anyway, but he’s looking to redeem himself after a long winter last season that saw him signed midway through spring training.

This brings an opportunity for the Atlanta Braves. Max Fried could take his services elsewhere and while Charlie Morton plans to return in 2025, there are no guarantees.

Signing the two-time Cy Young Award winner would be a huge offseason splash for the Braves.

While a bat is a more pressing need, the Braves should at least keep an eye on him as an additional seismic signing this winter.

This might also be a good choice. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden named the Braves as a top fit for Blake Snell. Despite the lack of durability – he was on the injured list twice in 2024 alone – he is considered a great addition to the rotation.

Bowden projected Snell will receive a 3-year, $105 million contract. That would give him an average annual salary of $35 million.

In 20 starts for the Giants, Snell had a 3.12 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 145 strikeouts and threw his first career no-hitter. This no-hitter was also his first career complete game and shutout. He posted solid overall numbers, but those numbers came after an extremely rough start to his tenure with the Giants.

Returning from his second stint on the injured list, Snell used his usual throws in the second half and dominated the rest of the game. In his last 14 starts of the season, he had a 1.23 ERA, held hitters to a .123 average and struck out 114 batters over 80 1/3.

Snell faces risks beyond his injuries. He’s one of the best late-season pitchers, but he tends to struggle early on. Here is his career ERA per month:

It was these end-of-season races that turned the tables in his favor for these two Cy Young Awards. The early season struggles could be costly for the Braves, but if they decide the positives of the final months outweigh the negatives of the early months, then it’s definitely worth it.

If Snell signed with the Braves, they would have multiple Cy Young winners on the team – assuming Chris Sale gets the Cy Young as expected. He could also reunite with Charlie Morton if he returns. The two were part of the Tampa Bay Rays rotation together in 2019 and 2020, leading the team to a World Series appearance.

For his careerSnell has a 3.19 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 1,368 strikeouts in 1,096 2/3 innings pitched. He won his Cy Young Awards in 2018 (AL, Rays) and 2023 (NL, Padres).

As a reminder, this signature should complement the addition of a bat. The shortstop position is the biggest upgrade they need right now. However, if they could land Snell and potentially his former teammate Willy Adamesthe Braves would prepare well for a run in 2025.