Jeff Passan hadn’t made a single baseball-related tweet for a week. Can you believe it? Finally, he got reason to, but unfortunately, it wasn’t in favor of what the Big Apple wanted to hear. The New York Yankees have been trying to play it smart. As rumors suggested, they had a hefty $150 million to spend and went after Blake Snell, the hotshot pitcher and NL Cy Young winner. But things didn’t go as planned. Snell’s been playing hard to get, showing just how tricky it can be to nail down a deal in today’s pitching market.
Initially, people thought the Yankees offered Snell a five-year, $150 million deal. But Jon Heyman from the New York Post set the record straight—it was actually for six years, still for $150 million, which works out to about $25 million a year. They even threw in an option to leave early, probably to avoid getting stuck with a big bill for a 31-year-old pitcher who might not keep up his top game.
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New York Yankees offered Blake Snell a $150 Million Contract
Snell’s a beast on the field, no doubt. Last season, he rocked a 2.25 ERA, pitched in 32 games, and struck out many batters. But he’s not always Mr. Reliable with his innings, and there’s a bit of a gamble in signing him for big bucks over a long time.
Yankees reportedly offered Blake Snell a 6-year, $150 million deal, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/1aXg9rsJHg
— Bronx Pinstripes (@bxpinstripes_) January 19, 2024
In the end, Snell turned down the Yankees. There’s buzz that he might change his mind if he doesn’t find a better deal. The Yankees’ offer was on the safe side, especially compared to the huge contract they gave Carlos Rodon before. If rumors are to be believed, they think Snell could be great, not just as a starting pitcher, but also in the bullpen if he can’t handle too many innings.
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But, the Yankees are not stopping here. They are trying not to repeat past mistakes with bad contracts. The Bronx Bombers are actively looking at other players, like Corbin Burnes (unlikely in my opinion) or maybe Zack Wheeler (same, unlikely in my opinion) later on, instead of just throwing all their money at Snell.
Brian Cashman is playing it cool. He knows Snell could be great for the Yankees, but he’s not jumping the gun. He’s trying to balance being ambitious with being smart, aiming for a strong team that doesn’t get bogged down by risky deals, especially after what we gave Rodon.
It boils down to this – while the Yankees didn’t get Snell (for now – I will continue to be highly optimistic), their careful moves are evidence to their commitment to building a solid team, keeping an eye on the long game, and being smart with their cash.
