The New York Yankees were reportedly among the teams pursuing a trade for Blake Snell this week. However, payroll concerns allegedly were a major reason why the organization passed on a deal for the reigning National League Cy Young.
San Francisco Giants ace Blake Snell stamped his place in MLB history on Friday night when he added himself to the unique list of players who posted a no-hitter. It showed the 31-year-old is fully back to elite form after a rough start to the season. And it likely made teams that pursued him last week second guess passing on a trade.
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After coming on strong over the last month, Snell was a surprising late addition to this year’s trade market. And many contending teams were interested in landing the services of the two-time Cy Young Award winner. On Thursday, New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman reported that “the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Orioles, Cubs and Rangers checked in” on Snell.
Blake Snell contract: Two years, $62 million ($38.5 million in 2025)
Obviously he was not moved, and Heyman claims the Giants requesting a top-100 prospect made those teams hesitant. And in the case of the New York Yankees, an added financial requirement took them out of the running.
New York Yankees balked at picking up Blake Snell’s option in potential trade
“Sources say the Giants wanted a top-100 prospect and for the acquiring team to take responsibility for the contract, which included a $30 million 2025 player option,” Heyman wrote. “That option is why the Yankees didn’t seriously pursue Snell. In their 110 percent luxury-tax bracket, that’s $63M, which was tough with the Yankees badly wanting to retain Juan Soto beyond the year.”
Following Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline, it was also revealed that New York came up short in pursuits for Garrett Crochet and Jack Flaherty because they could not “match up” on prospect compensation with the White Sox and Tigers, respectively.
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