This off-season, the New York Yankees faced trouble securing a top-tier pitching talent. After Yoshinobu Yamamoto turned to LA Dodgers, the front office was kind of put off by the inflated market. Yamamoto’s record-breaking $325 million deal with Dodgers had negative implications for the pitching market.
Many experienced free-agent pitchers raised the stakes monetarily, including two-time Cy Young awardee Blake Snell. The pitcher was recently approached by the New York Yankees, as many active players approved of the idea of having Snell on board. However, Snell pushed the Yanks away with his steep ask. Regardless, the pitcher’s market has witnessed a sudden shift. Could the Yanks be interested again?
Blake Snell’s Market Toned Down Amid Steep Ask!
Earlier this month, several MLB insiders reported that the New York Yankees extended an introductory offer to defend NL Cy Young pitcher Blake Snell. Apparently, Yankee ace Gerrit Cole loved the idea of having two defending CY Young pitchers in the rotation and encouraged the front office to pursue his counterpart. However, Snell, being a Scott Boras client, turned down the Yanks’ generous offer. As per rumors, Yanks tabled a $150 million offer for a period of five-six year which Snell deemed not good enough. Apparently, he is seeking a $270 million deal for nine years. Needless to say, the Bronx Bombers thought of it as an unreasonable and expensive ask. Thus, Brian Cashman seemingly dropped the pursuit and pivoted to Marcus Stroman instead.
However, Blake Snell’s sky-high ambitions backfired on him. Ever since Snell conveyed his $270 million ask, clubs, including the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, and Philadelphia Phillies, have backed out. And since then, the pitcher has been unable to generate any interest from any other contender. With the market toned down, Scott Boras might have to advise his client to lower his ask. If he does, the Toronto Blue Jays could be the first one in the queue. Having said that, in case Snell lowers his ask, the Bronx Bombers could also legitimately re-enter the market. While the pitcher has had trouble staying consistent, his ability to create a profound impact when healthy is undeniable. Thus, all it takes from Blake Snell is to come to a reasonable asking price, to initiate negotiations with interested teams.
Yankees Payroll To Restrict Front Office’s Off-Season Move?
While Blake Snell still remains a person of interest to the New York Yankees, the franchise’s soaring payroll is a bad omen. As per Cot Contract, the team’s current payroll for the impending season stands at $304.2 million, which is way over the luxury tax threshold of $297 million.
Not only that, if the Yankees fail to trim the payroll, they would be entering a season with the highest cumulative salary in the history of the franchise. Besides, Hal Steinbrenner could be penalized under luxury tax regulations and could be forced to pay around $50 million in taxes alone. Needless to say, the club has to find a way to somehow shed some money before the season goes on the floor.