Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes Jr., Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt are already in place as starters for the Yankees
The New York Yankees continue to look for ways to improve their roster ahead of the beginning of the 2024 regular MLB season.
Spring Training is a time for clubs to assess their players, as well as analyze potential areas of weakness in their squad that could cause problems over the course of the MLB campaign.
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For the Yankees, it would be incorrect to state that their pitching rotation is an area of weakness, with the team boasting a star-studded selection which includes one Cy Young winner.
However, in a pursuit of perfection the club are hoping to add another star to the rotation before the season begins with talks continuing with Blake Snell, the reigning Cy Young winner from 2023.
Is a deal with the Yankees likely?
Many have been left surprised by the fact Snell has lingered in free agency this long, although this could be down to the amount of money he is asking teams for.
According to MLBtraderumors.com, the Yankees offered Snell a five-year contract worth 150 million dollars.
This was before they changed tact and added Marcus Stroman to their rotation on a two-year deal. Yet, with the season approaching, the Yankees are looking to see if his demands have softened.
Snell is understood to be ready to agree to a short-term deal that allows him a chance at success in 2024 before re-entering free agency next offseason.
Whether that is with the Yankees or not remains to be seen, although his agent Scott Boras has suggested that the shorter deal could be a way to tempt the New York franchise back to the negotiating table.
A max contract isn’t possible for the Yankees, who are already paying significant amounts in terms of the luxury tax penalty, and any further big deal will be taxed at 110 percent, making a long-term deal for Snell unsustainable.