Getty After winning his second career Cy Young in 2023, free agent Blake Snell is seeking a lucrative deal for 2024 and beyond
The New York Yankees are always liable to pull off a major blockbuster and adding free agent pitcher Blake Snell is such a move that has been anticipated for much of the offseason.
Singling out the Yankees as Snell’s potential destination for YardBarker, Eric Smithling projected that a deal could soon be done, with Snell accepting a previous offer from New York as the likelihood of getting a better one dwindles.
“Snell turned down a six-year, $150 million contract from the Bronx Bombers earlier this offseason as he sought a longer deal, but that offer might be more attractive at this late juncture, with his market less robust than expected,” Smithling noted.
The Yankees offer to Snell was first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who noted that it was the “lone offer” made to the reigning NL Cy Young award winner, but that Snell was hoping for something closer to “$270 million over nine years.”
But with Opening Day right around the corner, Snell may soon feel that his asking price has been too steep.
“Despite Snell’s obvious talent, interest in him appears cool from teams who would rather not pay the Boras premium,” according to The Wall Street Journal, referring to Scott Boras, Snell’s agent. “The 31-year-old left-hander has (up) to this point only received one publicly reported offer — a five-year deal from the Yankees that went nowhere.”
Adding Blake Snell Answers the New York Yankees’ Biggest Roster Question
It seems the Yankees might be calling Snell’s bluff, anticipating that their offer is well within his market price and giving the ace a chance to gauge that for himself before agreeing to a deal.
On paper, the addition certainly makes sense. Smithling reported that Snell’s resume speaks for itself while the Yankees have a glaring need for more rotation depth.
“The Yankees’ pitching depth took a hit when they traded for Juan Soto in December, as the team lost Michael King, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and prospect Drew Thorpe,” he wrote.
The Yankees do have reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole at the top of their pitching staff, and are hoping for a bounce-back season from Carlos Rodón and dependable performance from veteran acquisition Marcus Stroman.
But when it’s World Series or bust, you can never have too many dependable starters.
“Even if certain members of the Yankees’ rotation didn’t carry an ‘injury-prone’ tag, there’s a good chance they would need more than five starters to get through the season,” the New York Post noted.
Six Years and $100 Million to Join the New York Yankees Might Compel Blake Snell to Sign
If Snell is unable to secure a larger deal than what the Yankees have offered, he may opt for something shorter and plan to test the market again in the near future. But that route would be risky.
“Players in this situation will sometimes opt for a short-term deal with a high average annual value and opt-outs,” according to MLB Trade Rumors. “Taking a short-term deal would carry the risk of the baseball gods souring on him and his ERA jumping up over 4.00 this year, or perhaps sustaining another injury and turning in a more limited workload.”
With that being the case, Snell might ultimately take the only long-term deal in front of him.