One of the most surprising aspects of this offseason has been the rather subdued free agency of Blake Snell. The two-time Cy Young winner hasn’t seen the response that one normally expects with his resume. Fatefully, the Yankees are a new addition to the Snell sweepstakes. Although, “Snell seems a more likely fit in New York than Jordan Montgomery“, these two red flags may make the Yankees cautious regarding pursuing the lefty.

Blake Snell is an interesting player. He’s only the seventh player to win a Cy Young award in AL and NL. Add to that Snell has excelled both in the East Coast as well as the West Coast. One of the most terrifying pitchers when in form, he’d be an obvious signing for the Yankees, but he isn’t. The reasons seem simple – his Injuries and Age, and Underlying stats. Let’s roll up our sleeves and delve into these aspects.

Blake Snell – A risky business for the league

Snell is 31 years old and has a body that has some miles on it. Since 2018, he has had problems in his left shoulder, had surgery on his left elbow, broke his toe, and twice injured his adductor. With so much pressure on his body, it’s no surprise that teams like the Bombers are showing hesitation in offering Snell a long-term contract. But if the Yankees decide to take a chance despite these injuries, there’s another issue to take into consideration.

Despite a Cy Young award-winning season and a league-low 2.25 ERA, Snell topped one unflattering criterion. With 99 walks given, he was the leader across the league. This could either be a strategy of pitching outside the zone or maybe Snell is seeing a visible decline in his pitching accuracy. When combined with the fact that SnellZilla has touched 130 innings only twice in his career, the picture doesn’t look pretty.

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The Yankees seem to keep a watchful eye on these potential warning signs. This cautious approach may explain why, despite a significantly positive signal, the deal is not yet on the horizon. Nonetheless, the alternative perspective tells its own tale.

SnellZilla’s desire to play for the New York Yankees

While the Yankees and Snell have just been linked, it looks like at least one party is fully in on this partnership. Andy Martino of SNY reported that “League sources say that two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell has privately expressed an interest in playing for the Yankees, though he has plenty of other suitors”. 

This is an interesting twist in this tale. It seems like we could see things move rather swiftly in this link. While the red flags do make this deal doubtful, the quality of Snell is undeniable. When consistent, his performances rival the very best in the league. Curiosity piques about the next moves in the Yankees and Snell alliance.

Read more: Overpaid Pitchers Everywhere, Yet Scott Boras Can’t Land Blake Snell a Massive Payday?