The 2024 MLB Season is here and Locked On has the most comprehensive MLB Season preview for you. Who wins each division? You’ll hear from every MLB host on our network debating who take the top spots in the AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East, NL Central and NL West. Will we see the Baltimore Orioles, the Minnesota Twin, the Houston Astros, the Atlanta Braves, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers repeat their 2023 success?

Blake Snell to the San Francisco Giants is official. Snell passed his physical and the deal was announced by the SF Giants on Tuesday night, capping a monster offseason for the orange and black. How exactly were the Giants able to land Snell to such a team-friendly deal? What made the SF Giants' Snell's choice in the end?

And how does the Giants' signing of Blake Snell impact the NL West? Just a few weeks ago, the Locked On hosts from the NL West got together and Millard Thomas of Locked On D-backs said the Giants could possibly be a last-place team. Now, Millard questions whether the Giants may actually be the second-best team in the division.

Ben from Locked On Giants and Millard from Locked On D-backs compare Blake Snell to other pitchers in the NL West, including Logan Webb, Zac Gallen, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and many others. How does Snell compare? Coming off a Cy Young award, is the new Giants ace the best pitcher in the division? Listen to find out.

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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

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#SFGiants #FirstListen

The San Francisco Giants needed to have a huge offseason, and they've done it. Capped by the reported addition of reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell—which is pending a physical—the Giants have made numerous meaningful improvements that vault them firmly into the mix for a playoff berth and make them a potentially scary team to have to face in October.

Blake Snell is second in MLB in ERA and strikeout rate since 2022 (min. 300 innings). He's a power lefty with a mid-90s fastball that he pairs with a devastating curveball, a changeup, and a slider. Blake Snell and Logan Webb give the SF Giants one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball. The SF Giants have shot well past the first luxury tax threshold with this signing, so they're exceeding the tax for the first time since 2017. The Giants' luxury tax payroll ranks sixth in MLB, per RosterResource.

In totality, with Snell, Jung Hoo Lee, Matt Chapman, Jorge Soler, Jordan Hicks, and Tom Murphy, the SF Giants have easily had an 'A' offseason. It's pretty remarkable how good their offseason looks considering they missed out on their two top targets in Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, both of whom signed with the rival Dodgers. Outside of the Dodgers and Braves, the National League should be quite a battle when it comes to the three wild card spots. But with all of their moves combined, the SF Giants appear to have as good of a shot as anyone of playing postseason baseball, and if they make it there, they could be a very scary opponent.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Blake Snell will be wearing orange and black in 2024. The San Francisco Giants and Blake Snell have agreed to a two-year, $62 million deal with an opt out after the 2024 season, according to multiple reports. The Giants now have the reigning Cy Young Award winner in Snell atop their rotation, followed by last year's runner-up, Logan Webb.

The Giants have been linked to Snell all offseason, and a deal finally came together tonight. Blake Snell's two-year guarantee is far lower than anyone would have predicted when the offseason began, and the SF Giants are the beneficiaries of patience. The Giants also signed Platinum Glover Matt Chapman to a somewhat similar deal just a couple of weeks ago.

Since the start of the 2022 season, among all pitchers with at least 300 innings pitched, Blake Snell is second in ERA and second in strikeout percentage. He also has the highest walk rate in the major leagues over that span, but the Giants will live with the walks if it comes with elite run prevention.

In totality, the San Francisco Giants have had a monster offseason capped off with the signing of Snell. More details on the Giants' offseason and signing of Snell on tomorrow's full-length edition of the Locked On Giants podcast.

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Renel Brooks-Moon is as synonymous with San Francisco Giants baseball as anyone outside of perhaps Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow. Despite that fact, the Giants sent out a press release this morning, misleadingly titled "Ahead of the 2024 Season, Giants Name Renel Brooks-Moon Public Address Announcer Emeritus," in which they described that after months of negotiations, they were not able to agree to a new contract with Brooks-Moon, whose contract had expired in December 2023.

Despite the press release stating that the SF Giants and Brooks-Moon had "mutually and amicably agreed to part ways," both Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area and Ann Killion of the San Francisco Chronicle detailed that Brooks-Moon wanted to return, with Killion going so far as to say that a close friend of Brooks-Moon said that she was being "forced out." This is the latest in a years-long series of off-the-field blunders for the Giants, and Renel's presence in the booth will be greatly, greatly missed.

In other news, Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote over the weekend that the Giants are looming as the "favorites" to sign reigning NL CY Young Award winner Blake Snell, after the Astros balked at his asking price of at least two years and $60 million with an opt out after 2024. That seems like a very reasonable dial for Snell, and it's a shock that no one has jumped at it. Jon Heyman of MLB Network also tweeted yesterday that the SF Giants were still in pursuit of Snell.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

We've been talking for weeks about how the San Francisco Giants are poised to enter the season with one of the more inexperienced pitching staffs in recent memory. One of the consequences is that several players who look like they're going to make the Giants' Opening Day roster will need to be added to the 40-man roster, which currently stands at 39. When all is said and done, the SF Giants may need to make a surprising DFA or two, or trade(s), to clear some room.

Among the other questions asked and answered on today's mailbag edition of the Locked On Giants podcast:

Who on the Giants do you see making the biggest offensive improvement from last year?

How come our shortstop, Marco Luciano, can't hit the ball?

Are there any Vaun Brown progress updates?

Is Mason Black going to be on the Opening Day roster?

If the SF Giants don’t sign Blake Snell for whatever reason, could they still trade for a veteran shortstop (because I hear Luciano isn’t ready), or sign another veteran pitcher like Mike Clevinger or Michael Lorenzen?

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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Twenty-two-year-old San Francisco Giants outfield prospect Luis Matos held his own in the majors last season as a 21-year-old rookie. Matos then added over 10 pounds of muscle in the offseason and has slugged all spring. With new center fielder Jung Hoo Lee in the fold, Matos can focus on corner outfield, where he profiles better as a defender. However, Matos may still find himself on the outside looking in of the SF Giants' roster on Opening Day.

Michael Conforto, Lee, Mike Yastrzemski, and Austin Slater all hold positions over Matos for various reasons. Most importantly, it's a matter of protecting inventory. A baseball season is a battle of attrition. Guys get hurt and replacements are needed constantly. Matos figures to hear his name called as soon as there's any injury in the outfield. But until then, he may have to wait his turn, unless the Giants make a surprising move such as trading a veteran with an established track record like Conforto.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres made yet another big splash, acquiring starting pitcher Dylan Cease in a trade with the White Sox. The Padres are not afraid to make moves, though those moves have frequently backfired or simply not led to great results. Still, there's no doubt that Cease makes the Padres better, and by doing so, hurts the Giants' playoff odds. If the Giants want to add premier pitching, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery remain on the free-agent market.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

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🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

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In just over two weeks, the San Francisco Giants will open the 2024 season on the road against the rival Padres. Who, exactly, will be the 26 Giants that line up on the chalk to kick off the season? The SF Giants' probably Opening Day roster is broken down in detail, starting with two notable omissions. At shortstop, Marco Luciano seems to have lost the job (for now, at least) to veteran Gold Glover Nick Ahmed. In the outfield, there simply isn't room for Luis Matos. Both have minor league options and appear headed to Triple-A to start the season—barring any injuries.

Elsewhere on the diamond, Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy are the catching duo that will start the Giants' season, with Joey Bart out of options and destined for another team before the opener. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Wilmer Flores form a strong platoon at first. Thairo Estrada, Matt Chapman, and Jorge Soler are everyday presences at second, third, and DH, respectively. In the outfield, Michael Conforto (left), Jung Hoo Lee (center), and Mike Yastrzesmki/Austin Slater (look like the go-to group), with Tyler Fitzgerald sneaking into the last spot on the roster as a super-utility player.

The pitching is way less clear. We all know Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Camilo Doval, the Rogers twins, Ryan Walker, and Luke Jackson will take up eight of 13 spots among the pitching group, but what about the other five? The Giants need two more starters, and those are likely to be Keaton Winn and Mason Black at this point in time. In the bullpen, a mix of lesser-known names such as Ethan Small (lefty), Spencer Howard, and Daulton Jefferies could round out the staff.

Find and follow Locked On Giants on your favorite podcast platforms:

🎧 Apple Podcasts http://apple.co/3ycRK3U

🎧 Spotify http://spoti.fi/3Bak0pN

🎧 Google Play https://bit.ly/3D356mr

🎧 Overcast https://bit.ly/3wqZsbg

🎧 Megaphone https://bit.ly/3wGGcXD

The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.

Follow Ben Kaspick on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the San Francisco Giants and talking with fans.

On X: https://x.com/BenKaspick

#SFGiants #FirstListen

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)