In order to complement Gerrit Cole for the 2024 campaign, the New York Yankees have been looking for a true ace, and free agency pitcher Blake Snell is generally regarded as the best choice.
The Yankees have now extended a short-term offer to Snell, hoping that the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner will accept it or lower his asking price after he rejected their initial offer a few weeks ago, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
According to Nightengale, “the New York Yankees still have serious interest in Blake Snell. They offered free-agent starter Blake Snell a five-year, $150 million contract before turning to Marcus Stroman last month.” “They are holding out to see if he will accept a short-term contract that could pay him more than $35 million annually, or if his asking price drops on a long-term deal.”
For the New York Yankees, Blake Snell and Gerrit Cole would deliver a potent one-two punch.
To rekindle their hopes for a World Series, the Yankees have made a number of noteworthy moves following a dismal 2023 season in which they were eliminated from the postseason.
Most notably, they acquired ace slugger Aaron Judge by trading for Juan Soto, who is regarded as the finest left-handed hitter in MLB. Additionally, the Sox signed veteran free agent Marcus Stroman to help with a starting pitching staff that had a sharp decline after Cole in the previous campaign.
“After missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it is hardly a secret that the Yankees need at least one pitcher behind Cole,” Larry Fleisher wrote for Forbes. “They could add someone to relieve some of the pressure on the left-handed duo, who are coming off seasons marred by injuries, or they could stick with Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes as their number two and three starters.”
A High-Paying, Short-Term Agreement Might Be Beneficial to Blake Snell and the New York Yankees
The Yankees extended a six-year offer to Snell, but he declined it. It appears that his market is not as strong as he had preferred. A short-term contract could lessen the Yankees’ concern that he won’t be able to pitch through a lot of innings. Additionally, one may wager on Snell’s market to rebound in the near future.
MLB Trade Rumors claims that if Snell were to change his focus to maximizing short-term profits, things might work out for him. Rather than emphasizing an absolute assurance, Snell may strive for setting a record for average annual value. Snell is currently 31 years old, but if he continues to be productive and healthy, he may still be paid in his mid-30s.
A short-term deal that pays more than $35 million per season could be a win-win compromise between the Yankees and Snell, a pairing that has been among the most highly anticipated of all likely blockbusters this MLB offseason.
