The New York Yankees reportedly offered free agent starting pitcher Blake Snell a hefty contract in January but wound up signing Marcus Stroman. Despite not landing Snell after the initial offer, the Yankees are still interested in landing him, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
“The New York Yankees, who offered free-agent starter Blake Snell a five-year, $150 million contract before turning to Marcus Stroman last month, still have serious interest in him,” Nightengale wrote. “They are waiting to see if his asking price drops on a long-term deal or if he agrees to take a short-term contract that could pay him in excess of $35 million a year.”
Snell, who spent last season with the San Diego Padres, is coming off a five-year, $50 million deal and is looking for a bigger contract after winning his second Cy Young Award in 2023.
Snell started 32 games for the Padres last year, recording a 2.25 ERA and a career-high 234 strikeouts.
Despite entering the market as one of the top starting pitchers in free agency, Snell has yet to land a new deal as pitchers and catchers begin to report for Spring Training. As was the case with the Yankees, Snell’s camp and interested teams have faced a disparity in his asking price and what teams are willing to pay.
Now as Opening Day gets closer, the Yankees could work something out with Snell at a lower asking price. As Nightengale noted, New York and Snell could also agree to a short-term deal that satisfies both parties.
A short-term deal could give the Yankees a chance to see how Snell can perform on the heels of his huge season. While Snell has posted some great years in his eight campaigns, he has been inconsistent in the four years between his two Cy Young Award-winning seasons.
That inconsistency could be a reason why teams are hesitant to match Snell’s asking price, so a short-term deal could be a good option for the Yankees.
