JUSTIN:Why The Yankee Might Not Get A Deal Done With Top Free Agent Pitcher
Reasons The Yankees May Not Be Able To Sign A Deal With The Best Free Agent Pitcher
Blake Snell remains a free agent while Cody Bellinger is no longer available. The New York Yankees and the two-time Cy Young Award winner are still the subject of ongoing speculation. The Yankees made Snell an offer of a $150 million, five-year contract before deciding to focus last month on Marcus Stroman and his two-year contract. Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that on Monday, Snell and the Yankees talked about a possible contract.
Blake Snell and the Yankees Keep Talking
Snell’s addition to the Yankees rotation in 2024 and later would be beneficial. It doesn’t seem like the two parties are moving very far in the direction of finalising a contract right now. With the San Diego Padres last season, the left-hander recorded a 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 234:99 K:BB over 180 innings, which earned him the National League Cy Young Award. He’s not much of a workhorse and struggles with control. In addition, he is among the top strikeout pitchers in baseball with amazing velocity. But maybe some teams are unwilling to pay his asking price because of his walk rate, which ranks last in the league at 13.3 percent across two seasons of more than 130 innings.
Whatever is on the table doesn’t appear to be a take-or-leave-it type offer for Snell. Heyman did write that free agent Scott Boras has suggested the possibility of a shorter-term deal with higher annual salaries and multiple opt-outs. It would pivot Snell from earning the amount he wants. A contract like the one Boras suggested might not fit with the Yankees’ plans.
What Would the Yankees Pay in a Trade?
The Yankees are at the top of their penalty list and are a third-time luxury taxpayer. The club will pay 110% in taxes if they decide to spend money right away. The average yearly value of a contract is the basis for the luxury tax. In essence, the Yankees will be penalised even more by raising the average annual value of the contract. Along with giving up $1 million from the international bonus pool for the following year, New York would also surrender its highest draft picks in the second and fifth rounds in order to sign Snell.