On Monday, it was revealed that New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole was being sent for an MRI on his right elbow. Immediately, the entire Yankees universe entered a collective state of uneasiness, and it’s easy to see why: together with Aaron Judge, Cole is the single most important player on the roster.
The results of the test haven’t been revealed yet, so everybody is holding their breath. It could be a short-term absence stemming from fatigue, or it could result in the dreaded Tommy John surgery and a year-and-a-half absence. The Yankees appear to be cautiously optimistic that the worst-case scenario will be avoided, but nobody will rest easy until the results of the MRI are made public.
Even if the MRI shows nothing, Cole figures to miss at least a short period of time. Even before the news, the Yankees were razor-thin in the rotation. Yes, their starting five was and is rock-solid, but they are just a couple of injuries away from having to rely on rookies and/or inexperienced pitchers.
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Will the Yankees pursue Snell?
That’s why Blake Snell’s name came up, once again, on Monday. He is still a free agent, and the Yankees have asked multiple times about him through the winter and spring. However, and according to Sports Illustrated, “it doesn’t sound like New York will be making another offer because of the Cole news, according to SNY’s Andy Martino.”
“The Cole news has not reignited the Yankees’ one-time pursuit of free agent ace Blake Snell, per league sources,” Martino said.
The Yankees had offered Snell a multi-year contract in January, but he rejected the proposal and the team pivoted to Marcus Stroman. It is believed that the two-time Cy Young award winner is looking for at least $30 million per season, and the Yanks are limited by their CBT (Competitive Balance Tax) situation. That makes any deal for Snell highly unlikely.
All things considered, the Yankees hope Cole can avoid a long-term absence and is healthy enough to help the team achieve its objectives in 2024. In any case, however, New York needs to add another arm to the mix for depth purposes.