The New York Yankees have never had trouble spending extra cash on free agents in the past. However, the introduction of luxury tax regulation proved to be a game changer. As per the new tax rules, every MLB team must maintain their payroll for the season below the predecided threshold.
A violation results in heavy penalties. While the New York Yankees previously surpassed the threshold, this season, the franchise wants to avert penalties and adhere to the tax regulation. Thus, when top free agency pitching candidate Blake Snell raised his asking price, the Bronx Bombers turned it away without giving it a second thought.
Blake Snell Asked For $270 Million From Yankees!
In a bid to bolster the starting pitching rotation, the New York Yankees turned to two-time CY Young award-winning pitcher Blake Snell this off-season. Snell is a defending NL CY Young awardee and a free agent. Moreover, the front office and ace Gerrit Cole were swayed by the idea of having two defending CY Young pitchers in the rotation. Thus, to form a dynamic force, the franchise leadership chose to make an introductory offer to Snell. According to rumors, Yanks offered a $150 million deal to Blake for a span of five years. However, Snell seemingly rejected the generous offer. Apparently, Yoshinobu Yammaoto’s groundbreaking $325 million deal encouraged Snell to up his stakes as an established MLB starting pitcher.
Meanwhile, as per the latest update from Bill Maddon of the New York Daily News, Blake Snell scared the New York Yankees with an ambitious $270 million ask for a nine-year deal. Apparently, the Yanks and San Francisco Giants were both in play for the CY Young awardee. But his stubbornness to lower his ask pushed both the interested team away. Moreover, while Giants deviated the money to Jordan Hicks by signing him in a four-year, $44 million deal, Bombers pivoted to Marcus Stroman. As per multiple reports, NYY signed Stroman in a two-year deal worth $37 million, which includes a vesting option for a third year. Having said that, for Blake Snell, the $270 million figure represents his perceived value and acknowledgment of his accomplishments on the field. However, in the context of a team’s payroll constraints, the reported asking price may present a unique challenge in finding a suitable match.
Yanks Unlikely To Make Any More Moves This Off-Season!
Meanwhile, MLB reporter Bob Nightengale believes that the New York Yankees’ off-season has finally come to an end. He claimed that GM Brian Cashman had no interest in signing Marcus Stroman either until he met with him in person in Tampa last week. After productive talks, Cashman deemed Marcus a perfect fit.
However, Bob expects Stroman’s signing to be the Yankees’ last big move of this off-season. It’s because the franchise’s current payroll exceeds the $300 million mark. And if Hal Steinbrenner fails to lower it in the coming weeks, he would have to face severe repercussions under luxury tax regulation. Thus, the current roster could be the Yanks’ final one before they head into spring training next month.
