The New York Yankees’ interest in bringing National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to the Bronx is legitimate, however, it seems the hold-up in getting a deal done has to do with a disappointing and massive contract the organization handed out last year.
For just the second time over the last decade, the Yankees finished near the bottom of the American League East. That’s why improving the roster in some major ways was a necessity this winter. However, the organization did not want to throw a boatload of money at the problem like in years past, especially with a preference to not surpass the next luxury tax threshold.
With that in mind general manager Brian Cashman has done an impressive job nonetheless of improving the team for 2024 without adding huge contracts. Their blockbuster trade for Juan Soto was the first big splash of the offseason, and they were able to sign 2023 All-Star Marcus Stroman to a very team-friendly deal this month. However, they have also been open to the idea of adding a massive contract.
They were one of the finalists for Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and they reportedly made an offer to NL Cy Young Blake Snell. This past week, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed that some of the interest in Snell actually came from inside the roster. “Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge recommended the signing of Snell early.”
- Blake Snell stats (2023): 14-9 record, 2.25 ERA (career-best), 1.189 WHIP, 234 strikeouts, 180 innings
Is Carlos Rodon the reason the New York Yankees have not signed Blake Snell?
However, as Heyman and other insiders have reported, Snell’s asking price is high and the Yankees did not come close when they made an offer before eventually signing Stroman. In his recent update on the situation, he also revealed the big hold-up in New York getting closer to the contract number the two-time Cy Young award winner is looking for.
“Though the Yankees made an offer for Blake Snell, part of their hesitation in extending what Snell’s camp considers a ‘market’ bid seems to be the rough first year of Carlos Rodon, who got $162 million,” Heyman wrote.
After being an elite pitcher the previous two seasons, Rodon missed much of the first half due to a back injury and only took the mound 14 times this past season. However, when he did play he posted an ERA over 6.00 and his strikeout-innings ratio was far lower than it was in 2021 and 2022.
Heyman reports that Snell’s camp has told the New York Yankees that their client is different from Rodon because of his two Cy Youngs, having no past Tommy John surgery history, more recent innings, and even better seasons at his peak. They are reportedly looking for a deal worth $200 million for the pitcher.