The San Francisco Giants entered the 2019 offseason knowing that two of their top pitchers from a year ago could very well be leaving them in the coming months.
And before the offseason could really properly take off, the first of those two dominos officially fell.
Closer Will Smith declined his qualifying offer from the Giants and inked a deal with his hometown Atlanta Braves. The contract is three years with a fourth-year club option and is worth a total of $39 million.
For that price, the Giants were likely never willing to match.