The New York Yankees search for a formidable starting pitcher ended with Marcus Stroman this off-season. After failing Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes, the front office settled with Stroman in a two-year deal. However, before Stroman, the Yanks tried to pursue defending NL CY Young pitcher Blake Snell.
The two-time CY Young pitcher has been one of the most coveted free agents of this off-season. However, besides the New York Yankees, the rivals are yet to make an offer. It’s largely due to Snell’s ridiculously high price tag. Meanwhile, rumors have it that Snell is set to lose the Bronx Bombers as well if he continues to play the chasing game.
Hal Steinbrenner Apparently Pulled The Plug On Blake Snell!
Owing to strong recommendations from captain Aaron Judge and ace Gerrit Cole, the New York Yankees made a generous introductory offer to free agent Blake Snell. As per reports, Yanks offered a six-year $150 million deal, which Snell seemingly rejected without a second thought. Apparently, the two-time CY Young pitcher’s agent, Scott Boras, is adamant about fetching a nine-year $270 million deal for his client. However, the industry standards are way low. Many rivals opine Snell’s price tag is ridiculously inflated. Though the pitcher has two CY Young awards in his kitty, the risk of regression and inconsistency are a few points of concern for interested teams.
Amid this, Bob Klapisch of NJ.com claimed the New York Yankees have opted out and moved on from Blake Snell. Apparently, managing partner Hal Steinbrenner has no plans to fall for Snell’s bait. Moreover, with only two weeks for spring training, the club wants to devote focus to training and preparations. At this point, Snell is just wasting time as neither he nor the interested team are ready to budge. Also, the Bombers pivoted to Marcus Stroman after the defending NL CY Young pitcher rejected the initial offer. Thus, the franchise is in no desperate need of a starting pitcher as of yet. Having said that, Blake Snell seems unlikely to land a nine-year $270 million deal at 30 years of age. He has to find a common ground to land a contract this off-season.
Yankees Attend Noah Syndergaard’s Bullpen Session With 14 Other Teams
Free agent starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard invited interested MLB teams to a bullpen session earlier this week. He ramped up mid-90s fastballs during his live session, which moved the 15 teams that attended the session, including the New York Yankees. Jon Heyman reported it first and said the Yanks’ level of interest is still unknown. Noah pitched a 6.50 ERA split season in 2023.
The starting pitcher endured a Tommy John surgery in 2020. And has not been the same dominant force on the mound ever since. After surgery, Noah Syndergaard posted a 7.16 ERA across 12 starts. However, the pitcher has reportedly put in a lot of work on his efficacy on the mound. And is looking for a fresh start with a new organization. At best, the Yanks can sign him as a backup due to a lack of space on rotation.
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