Blake Snell and the New York Yankees have been linked for the longest time this off-season. The idea of having two defending Cy Young pitchers in the rotation drove the Yanks to orchestrate silly moves. Also, Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole allegedly dropped in a recommendation for Snell, which further fueled the front office’s pursuit.
However, Blake Snell, a Scott Boras client, put up a heavy price tag for interested teams. Moreover, when the two sides refused to budge, the talks stalled. Having said that, the New York Yankees allegedly made a generous introductory offer before Snell stalled the deal by raising the monetary stakes.
Yankees Were Allegedly Ready To Match Carlos Rodon’s Offer For Blake Snell!
Two-time CY Young award-winning pitcher Blake Snell remains one of the most sought-after starting pitchers in the free agency. However, due to his heavy price tag, many MLB teams have refrained from offering a viable contract. Regardless, owing to Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole’s recommendation, the New York Yankees took the plunge. They made an introductory offer and deemed it generous. While the specific details of the offer are yet unknown, reports suggest Yanks matched Carlos Rodon’s offer. To those unversed, Yanks signed Rodon in a six-year $162 million deal last off-season. That accumulates to $27 million per year. Moreover, the New York Post reports that the Bombers’ offer to Snell was way more than what Rodon attained last year.
Yet, it proved to be not good enough. Blake Snell rejected the New York Yankees’ initial offer and suggested a steep counteroffer. As per speculations, Snell, 30, asked for a nine-year, $270 million hefty contract. Since the Yanks have already committed to Gerrit Cole in a long-term deal, they cannot afford to land another pitcher with an active risk of regression. While Snell has two CY Young awards, his inconsistencies have been exposed. Also, Blake Snell is unlikely to fetch a $270 million contract from any MLB team, let alone the Yanks. He has to lower his ask not to miss a season. But ultimately, Scott Boras is calling the shots on behalf of his client. He is the sole reason behind the inflated market. And as far as Boras’ reputation goes, the agent is unlikely to relent until he gets Snell the deal he thinks the pitcher deserves.
Ex-Yankee Keynan Middleton Signs With The Cardinals!
The New York Yankees traded Keynan Middleton at the mid-season trade deadline last year. The ex-White Sox pitcher left a profound first impression. However, his promising run was halted by an unfortunate injury. Ultimately, Middleton was shut down for the season in September. Having said that, the Yankees were interested in a reunion this season.
However, the pursuit couldn’t come to fruition. Apparently, the relief pitcher agreed to a short-term contract with the St.Louis Cardinals. As per Robery Murray, Middleton and Cardinals are in agreement on a contract pending physicals. With that, the Yanks continue to miss out on top relief pitcher options just two weeks ahead of spring training.
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