If Blake Snell needs help getting a new contract, he has a former teammate on his side to put in a good word.
As the two-time Cy Young winner lingers as a free agent with spring training games underway, the New York Yankees — despite interest earlier in the offseason — are not a likely destination now.
But their new star outfielder still has Snell’s back.
“It would be unbelievable to have two Cy Young winners going back to back, it’d be great,” Juan Soto told The New York Post on Tuesday on having Snell and Gerrit Cole in the rotation. “[Snell’s] a great guy, a great player. Any help that we can get I would love.
“I know if he’s coming over, he’s going to help the team big-time. It’s always great to have great talent on the team. I would never say no. So it’s a great fit for him, I think.”
Soto and Snell shared the same Padres clubhouse for a little less than a season and a half.
But at this point, Snell-to-the-Yankees is nothing but a pipedream for fans. Sure, New York offered him a six-year, $150 million deal in February, but Snell rejected it, per NJ Advance Media’s Bob Klapisch and Randy Miller, and general manager Brian Cashman pivoted to Marcus Stroman for two years, $37 million.
“You keep calling …” an MLB source told Klapisch on Feb. 23. “And I keep telling you the same thing: Snell’s not happening.”
This came days after a source told Miller a USA TODAY Sports report of the Yankees showing “serious interest” was “Total BS.
The Yankees’ payroll stands at $304 million, and because they are over the third luxury tax threshold, they would pay 110% tax on any new salary.
Agent Scott Boras may have played the market incorrectly. Snell is not only missing valuable time in camp, but he ultimately may have to settle for a lower-term, lower-money deal — just like Cody Bellinger did in re-signing with the Chicago Cubs on a three-year, $80 million contract with opt-outs after the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
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