Let’s make one thing clear; it’s highly unlikely that the New York Yankees will sign Blake Snell, as said by Jack Curry on YES Network earlier this week. Andy Martino of SNY has heard that there isn’t any movement there either, and all signs are pointing to the two not reaching an agreement. On the other hand, Jon Heyman has reported that the two sides spoke on Monday, although no momentum was gained from those conversations. Juan Soto, who happens to also be represented by Scott Boras, gave a ringing endorsement to Jon Heyman regarding a potential signing of Blake Snell.
“It would be unbelievable to have two Cy Young winners going back to back, it’d be great…I know if he’s coming over, he’s going to help the team big-time. It’s always great to have great talent on the team. I would never say no. So it’s a great fit for him, I think.”
Does this endorsement from Juan Soto mean the Yankees are signing Blake Snell? Probably not, but the connections between the two will persist until the two-time Cy Young winner makes a decision.
Juan Soto Pushes For the Yankees to Sign Blake Snell
Juan Soto had a lot of good to say about Blake Snell, who would undoubtedly improve the Yankees’ rotation, and who they seem to really like. There’s a reason they made him an offer exceeding the $162 million they gave to Carlos Rodon, but that was before they signed Marcus Stroman. A fair attempt was made by the front office to bring him in, and that ship has sailed for the most part. Perhaps the two sides could pull off an unlikely signing, stranger things have happened before, but this doesn’t seem like a signing that they can even financially pull off.
If they were to sign Blake Snell, they have to pay a 110% tax on top of that money, so if they were to pay $30 million for him this season, it would come with a $33 million tax on top of that. It’s unlikely that Hal Steinbrenner will push his payroll above $350 million, and as much as I would love to see a two-headed monster of Cole and Snell together, it just doesn’t make much financial sense. Furthermore, the track record for Blake Snell means that he isn’t the kind of player you’d want on a player option, but rather a club or mutual one.
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As much as we’d love to believe that Juan Soto saying he’d love to play alongside Blake Snell is a plea to the front office to add a huge piece, there are obvious undertones behind his message. Blake Snell and Juan Soto are both represented by Scott Boras, who has seen the market for his clients completely dissipate. The Yankees are not going to pay what it takes to land Blake Snell, but nobody else will either. Each day that passes by creates more desperation for the left-hander to find a home, and there will be a team that emerges and matches that price tag.
Cody Bellinger still got $80 million over three seasons, which would have cost the Yankees $52 million had they paid the former MVP. It’s hard to imagine that Snell signs for anything below $25 million a year, and I don’t think a $50 million tax hit is what the Yankees are interested in. Things could theoretically change, but the most reputable New York reporters have made it clear that these two sides are likely not headed toward a union. Even Jon Heyman said the same thing regarding their meeting on Monday, and it’s clear that Snell would have to change his price dramatically.
Blake Snell and the Yankees are still heavily unlikely to come together on a deal, but they’ve remained in contact, which is another complicated wrinkle in a strange free agent class.