For the umpteenth time, Blake Snell is almost certainly not signing with the New York Yankees.
And yet, the rumors just won’t die. On Tuesday, new star outfielder and Snell’s former Padres teammate Juan Soto threw his support behind the idea of the big lefty in pinstripes.
“I know if he’s coming over, he’s going to help the team big-time,” Soto said to the Post. It’s always great to have great talent on the team. I would never say no. So it’s a great fit for him, I think.”
Additionally, catcher Jose Trevino joined the Post’s own Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on their podcast and added that he too thought Snell would be a good signing.
Yankee catcher Jose Trevino had nice things to say about Blake Snell here. Trevino talks young NYY arms, Wells, Rodon, Cole, Mendoza in full cast. Joel and I talk free agents
LISTEN:
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— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 28, 2024
By the numbers, any team would want Blake Snell at the top of their rotation. He just won his second Cy Young and led MLB with a 2.25 ERA last season. Imagine that, having Cole and Snell one after the other in a rotation, plus Carlos Rodon and Marcus Stroman. The two reigning Cy Young winners on the same team!
That said, though we do know that the Yankees did indeed make Snell an offer, don’t count on him being Bronx-bound. Heyman himself notes that as things stand, a deal is unlikely. Snell’s asking price remains too rich for Hal Steinbrenner’s billionaire blood.
But even so, why should the Yankees be scrambling to sign Blake Snell? No other team has shown interest save for the rebuilding (again) Angels and the Giants have half-checked in. There’s no reason for New York to bid against itself.
Not to mention that the rotation looks better behind Cole, Rodon, and Stroman. Nestor Cortes’ mechanics looked spot on in his first spring start. On Tuesday, Clarke Schmidt’s sinker ranged between 94-96 mph and moved much more compared to last season. There’s still plenty of room for depth, but at the price of demoting one or the other to the bullpen? Or perhaps being traded?
Yankees players, pundits, fans, and other various talking heads can beat the Blake Snell-to-the-Yankees drum until someone shouts about having blisters on their fingers. It’s all a matter of how willing Snell is to watch his price slowly drop on the daily. At this stage, it’s hard to see him getting more than a short-term deal with a high AAV.
The Yankees’ payroll is already above $300 million. Snell might not be a Yankee today but if it’s the same story in a week? Steinbrenner and general manager Brian Cashman may need to rethink their stance.
