The New York Yankees are expected to make a strong push to sign Blake Snell in free agency to strengthen their starting rotation.
Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, is among the top pitching talents available this offseason and is expected to draw significant interest from multiple teams. According to Danny Abriano of SNY, the Yankees could be one of the leading contenders to land Snell, especially after expressing interest in him last offseason before ultimately signing Marcus Stroman.
Abriano notes that while the Yankees need to address several areas—such as improving their fundamentals and making their offense more balanced—they are also in need of another ace-caliber starter, which Snell could provide. “Snell has the ability to dominate and should not come at the same cost as the top-tier pitchers in terms of years or dollars,” Abriano added.
Snell would immediately provide a boost to the Yankees’ rotation, potentially slotting in after Gerrit Cole and before Carlos Rodón, creating a formidable trio.
The left-hander had a solid season with the San Francisco Giants, posting a 5-3 record with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts. He previously won Cy Young honors in 2018 and again in 2023.
**What will Snell’s contract look like?**
After opting out of the two-year, $62 million contract he signed with the Giants last offseason, Snell is expected to secure a more lucrative deal. The Athletic predicts a four-year, $110 million contract for the pitcher, though MLB Trade Rumors anticipate a five-year, $160 million deal. In his career, Snell has compiled a 76-58 record with a 3.19 ERA in 211 starts.
Yankees Bring Back Cole
New York’s first move of the offseason was locking up ace Gerrit Cole to a new deal. After opting out of his previous contract, Cole and the Yankees agreed to a four-year, $144 million deal, matching the original contract Cole had opted out of.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman emphasized that the team was committed to retaining Cole, stating, “We wanted our player and our ace back. He certainly didn’t want to go either,” Cashman said. “We had a lot of healthy dialogue… All parties wanted to keep the relationship going.”
Cole made an impact in the 2024 playoffs, going 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA, and finished the regular season with an 8-5 record and a 3.41 ERA.
