It’s interesting to see how the San Francisco Giants are conducting their business. They’ve signed the likes of Jorge Soler and the Korean Superstar Jung-Ho Lee. On paper, the roster looks great but in reality – where is the pitching? Two of their primary starters, Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray, are out till July. Therefore, although there are links with Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, the talks remain slow.

For a team that has been on a downward spiral for the past two seasons, the Bay Bombers certainly lack urgency. While the team is hoping to use some of its deep prospect lists to counter the rotation shortage, will it be enough? Maybe, maybe not. But what’s true is that the Giants have a unique window concerning Snell and Montgomery. Will they take advantage of it?

The unique position of the San Francisco Giants for Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery

The Giants have been linked with both Monty and Snell since the beginning of the offseason. But things cooled down in between when the Bay Bombers chose to focus more on their hitting needs. Now that they’ve filled those gaps, the team could start focusing on its pitching issues. Other than Logan Webb, the Giants currently lack any quality pitcher. According to The Athletic’s Grant Brisbee, this is where Snell and Montgomery come into the picture.

“Snell is the two-time Cy Young Award winner who could co-ace with Logan Webb for at least five innings at a time. Montgomery is an optical illusion of a pitcher,” the report said. In this, the author argued that not only will any of the two suit the Giants, but the team is perhaps one of the few who can afford to pay their high salary.

According to various reports, the Giants have between $39-$41 million of space between their payroll and the taxation threshold. Snell is reportedly seeking a contract with around $30 million AAV. However, Monty’s seeking less than that. The Bay Bombers can very well pay off these salaries if they want to. Perhaps that’s why the links have grown stronger recently. 

Read more: New York Yankees to Re-Enter Jordan Montgomery Talks? Pitching Search Continues Amidst Blake Snell Buzz

But then why haven’t they signed yet? Is it the confidence in their lineup or other pursuits that are stopping them? The answer could be a combination of the two.

The Bay Bombers’ belief and other defensive needs 

The Bay Bombers are being linked with one more Scott Boras client – Matt Chapman. The third baseman shares a connection with the team’s skipper. So are they focusing more here than on Snell? The Giants have been showing belief in their prospects ever since the start of this offseason. So one shouldn’t be surprised if the team actually ends up giving them big chances.

But then, if the Giants weren’t interested, they wouldn’t be linked with either of Snell and Monty. The fact that they are indicates that there’s some fire behind this smoke. Now that Spring Training is here, this fire might need to be put out soon.

Read more: New York Yankees’ Blake Snell Pursuit Sees Negative Update, Scott Boras’ Valuation Halts Talks