How a late Blake Snell signing would channel turn-of-the-century Steinbrenner
It’s been awhile since the Yankees made a seismic move at the start of spring. But there is precedent for Snell.
As has become the norm over the last decade or so, the number of high-profile free agents who remain unsigned has cast a shadow over the early days of spring training. This year, the market of still-available top talent is dominated by Scott Boras clients, with outfielder Cody Bellinger, third baseman Matt Chapman, and southpaw pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery representing the top of the market still available.
Yesterday, Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees may be looking to take advantage of the situation. Despite signing Marcus Stroman after Snell turned down their five-year, $150 million offer, the team has continued to monitor Snell’s market and “still have serious interest” in adding the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner to a rotation that already includes the defending AL Cy. This could come to pass if Snell’s asking price dips on a long-
term deal or if he’s willing to try a short-term deal with a high annual value (perhaps similar to what the Dodgers gave Trevor Bauer three years ago, or the Twins’ initial Carlos Correa contract in March 2022). Then on Monday morning, Mark Feinsand tweeted that the Yankees do have an active offer for him.
Do these reports fully pass the smell test? Truthfully, I’m not sure. Yes, Brian Cashman did say he’s not “pencils down” earlier this week, noting that the team is “always” on the look out for more pitching. But actions speak louder than words, and Cashman has not made major spring training splashes for the last decade or so. Typically, at this
point in the winter, he targets relief pitchers (à la Justin Wilson in 2021), stopgaps so that the team doesn’t have to rush a rookie (think Neil Walker in 2018), or injury replacements (such as Vernon Wells and Brennan Boesch in 2013, and Jose Trevino in 2022); in that time, he has avoided engaging in major free agents like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper.
