The New York Yankees had been through a pretty satisfying offseason. They really needed to make some significant changes during the winter. Moreover, the NY side had a pretty good depth in their bullpen in 2023. But that did not help the Bronx Bombers qualify for the postseason. Anyway, the 27-time champions finished with a terrible 82-80 record. It was a tremendous shame for the whole organization. On top of that, the Pinstripes had the second-worst batting average. They were only better than the nine-time champion, the Oakland Athletics. As a result, the Yankees decided to use their pitching resources to bring reinforcements for their outfield and offense.
Finally, sealing the deal with Juan Soto was a big boost for their offense. Moreover, the NY side signed Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham. These new additions bolstered their outfield and offense. But the Yankees were seeing a sudden worsening pitching situation. That’s why they wanted to sign ace pitchers like Blake Snell in free agency. But due to the asking price being too high, the Bombers signed Marcus Stroman instead. However, there is still a chance for the Yankees to seal the deal with the two-time Cy Young winner if the asking price can get lower.
Yankees Can Sign Blake Snell Finally If The Ace Lowers His Price
As per The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the NY side’s interest in Blake Snell has seen “A Slight Softening” lately. Moreover, a team source told Heyman that Snell’s agent, Scott Boras, will have to agree to a lower price to finalize a deal. Previously, on February 1, Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees were willing to offer Snell a bigger deal than that of Carlos Rodon’s $162 million. But Heyman believes Snell is looking for a contract similar to Stephen Strasburg’s $245 million seven-year deal. The Washington Nationals signed Strasburg with that deal in 2019. Anyway, sources believe the Yankees are willing to extend their original offer to the reigning NL Cy Young winner.
According to Jon Heyman, the original offer was about $100 million-plus short of Snell’s demand. Moreover, Heyman says it is not easy for the Bronx Bombers to agree to a short-term thought because a higher average annual value will add to the luxury tax money. Even then, the Yankees would still have to give up draft choices. Last spring, Hal Steinbrenner told The Post’s Mark W. Sanchez that it does not have to be a $300 million payroll that wins a World Series title. The Yankees’ owner said nobody won it with a $300 million payroll.
Later, Hal Steinbrenner Had To Accept A Really High Luxury Tax Payroll
It did not take even a year to change the thinking of the Yankees owner. On Thursday, Hal Steinbrenner confirmed that their 2024 luxury tax payroll would be more than the highest competitive balance tax (CBT). According to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty, it would be more than the CBT threshold of $297 million for the first time in Yankees history.
Hence, the NY side will have to pay a tax of 110%. As a result, it might double the price of Blake Snell’s Annual Average Value for the 2024 season. Heyman said Snell might look for a $35 million per year kind of deal. That will increase the risk for the organization to keep paying the penalty for several years in the future.
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