According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees’ two greatest stars have internally pushed the company to sign free agent starting pitcher Blake Snell.
“Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge recommended the signing of Snell early, but the sides are too far apart for recommendations to make a difference,” Heyman said in a letter on January 25, 2017.
Snell is coming off a stellar 2023 season in which he earned his second Cy Young Award, completing with a 2.25 ERA, 14 wins, and 234 strikeouts in 180 innings for the San Diego Padres. However, no team has yet agreed to match the exorbitant salary expectations set by Snell and his agent Scott Boras this offseason.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Snell has only gotten one free agent offer thus far: a six-year, $150 million contract from the New York Yankees. Snell, 31, wanted $270 million over nine years, according to Nightengale. With spring training little over two weeks away, it’s feasible that Snell’s team will decrease their asking price and strike a compromise with the Yankees.
Snell was in New York City over the weekend for an awards banquet given by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). He was sitting close to Cole, who, like Snell, is represented by Boras. Cole mentioned Snell in his acceptance speech for the American League Cy Young Award at the ceremony.
“I know the Baseball Writers’ Association plans this event but I found it particularly interesting that I was sitting next to Blake Snell all night and I was wondering if, maybe Scott, you had gotten hold of the seating chart and played some games with us,” Cole went on to say. “Sorry, that was for all my Yankees fans.”
The Yankees have already strengthened their starting rotation this summer by adding Marcus Stroman to a two-year contract worth $37 million. Signing Snell would cap a fantastic offseason for the Yankees, and one National League executive recently told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that he feels general manager Brian Cashman’s offseason is far from over.
“[Cashman] has one more move up his sleeve,” the executive explained.
Snell is the finest pitcher still on the market, with Jordan Montgomery, another Boras client and former Yankee, regarded as the second best free agency starter available. Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease has also been the target of trade speculations, with the Seattle Mariners expressing interest, according to Nightengale on January 27.
Blake Snell was linked to the San Francisco Giants.
An executive for an NFL team recently told MLB.com Mark Feinsand that Snell and the Giants are “very obvious fits” for one other. The Giants have already improved their starting pitching rotation this summer, adding Jordan Hicks and trading for Robbie Ray.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote on January 12 on X that the Giants’ signing of Hicks should not be interpreted as an indication of their interest in adding Snell.
The Yankees are banking on Carlos Rodon’s major rebound.
Carlos Rodon signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the Yankees last offseason, but his debut year in New York was marred by injuries and poor performance, posting a 6.85 ERA in 14 appearances. Rodon is expected to return to his All-Star form from the 2022 and 2021 seasons, according to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
“The feedback I’m getting is excellent. His arm movement is good, and he appears to have worked quite hard. So, yeah, we’re really optimistic that Rodon will be able to regain his form and be the pitcher we know he can be,” Cashman said.
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The Yankees have designated Diego Castillo for assignment.
The Yankees announced that they have claimed left-hander Matt Gage off waivers, as reported earlier today. Diego Castillo, an infield/outfielder, was designated for assignment in a corresponding transaction.
Castillo, 26, has seen his name on numerous transfers in recent years. He was signed as an amateur by the Yankees before being transferred to the Pirates as part of the 2021 Clay Holmes transaction. He was traded to the Diamondbacks after the 2022 season and will spend the 2023 season with the team. However, he was designated for assignment last month and went to the Mets and then the Yankees on waivers. He has been assigned for the third time in just over a month.
He lacks power but does admirably at the plate elsewhere. Last year, he made 556 plate appearances at Triple-A, hitting only three home runs. However, he drew walks in 17.4% of his plate appearances while striking out only 14.2%. His.313/.431/.410 batting line resulted in a 117 wRC+, suggesting that he was 17% better than the league average overall. His performance in the majors has been less stunning, with Castillo hitting.205/.250/.380 in 284 plate appearances for a wRC+ of 71.
Castillo has good defensive mobility. He’s played all four infield positions, the outfield corners, and even had a few mop-up appearances on the mound. He also possesses some speed, having stolen 13 bases at Triple-A last year, his third time reaching double digits in the minors.
This winter, it appears that he has fallen into the category of being excellent enough to pique organizations’ interest but not quite good enough to keep a roster place for long. The Yankees will now have one week to trade him or place him on waivers. He still has one option left. Given his plate discipline and defensive versatility, he may be on the move again in the coming days. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he will remain with the Yankees as non-roster depth. He does not have three years of MLB service time or a previous profession, so he would not be eligible for free agency.
