The baseball community has been closely monitoring the New York Yankees’ pursuit of the reigning NL Cy Young award winner, Blake Snell. According to a report by Bob Nightengale in USA Today, the Yankees have been the sole team to extend an offer to Snell. However, there seems to be a divergence in their final price negotiations.
Further details about the negotiations have been disclosed by Yankees insider Jon Heyman in the New York Post. Heyman stated that the team presented Snell with a deal even more lucrative than the six-year, $162 million contract given to Carlos Rodón in 2022. While the specific details of the Yankees’ offer to Snell remain undisclosed, Heyman mentioned that they were willing to exceed Rodón’s deal, implying a figure surpassing the $27 million per year earned by Rodón in his six-year contract with the Yankees.
Will the New York Yankees Add Blake Snell in 2024 Offseason?
Snell has privately expressed his desire to join the Yankees before Opening Day, with encouragement from Yankee stars Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge to make it happen. Analysts speculate that if the Yankees improve their initial offer, Snell may end up joining the team. However, even if the Yankees were initially willing to exceed their offer for Rodón, Snell’s asking price might still be too high.
It’s reported that the two-time Cy Young winner is seeking $30 million or more, drawing comparisons to Stephen Strasburg’s $245 million, seven-year contract. According to Heyman, the Yankees might be hesitant to make a significant investment in Snell, especially after the mixed results of their investment in Rodón. Rodón’s first season with the Yankees, earning $27 million, was marred by frequent trips to the injured list and a 6.85 ERA in just 64.1 innings.
Despite this, Snell still appears likely to end up in New York. However, if another team presents a substantial offer, the Yankees may choose to avoid entering a bidding war.
Yankees Tied to Reliever Ryan Brasier for Potential Signing
Apart from seeking additional depth in their pitching rotation, the Yankees have shown interest in various relief options, despite entering the 2024 season with a robust bullpen that boasted the best ERA in MLB at 3.34 last year.
During this offseason, the team has been linked to relievers such as Wandy Peralta, Héctor Neris, Phil Maton, and Ryan Brasier. Peralta has already signed with the San Diego Padres, Neris with the Chicago Cubs, and Maton is set to join the Tampa Bay Rays.
However, Ryan Brasier remains a viable choice for the Yankees, particularly given his outstanding performance in the latter half of the 2023 season after being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. According to Zachary Rymer’s report for Bleacher Report, Brasier recorded an impressive 0.70 ERA in 39 appearances after June 21, making him a potentially strong free-agent acquisition for the Yankees. Rymer suggests that Brasier could be a good fit for the team, highlighting that no other reliever who pitched at least 38 innings during that period performed better.
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