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The New York Yankees haven’t rested on their laurels this offseason, adding players like Juan Soto, Marcus Stroman, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham, among others.
But superstar slugger Aaron Judge wouldn’t be surprised if the team had one more ace up its sleeve.
“I definitely feel like there might be another move on the way but you never know,” he told reporters Tuesday.
General manager and senior vice president Brian Cashman hinted at something similar last week.
“We’re not ‘pencils down’ by any means,” he told reporters. “If there are ways to improve the club, we can be open-minded to that.”
As to where those improvements might come, he added that “I guess it’s always pitching” when discussing any roster concerns he might have. And multiple reports have suggested the Yankees have eyes for Blake Snell:
MLB Network @MLBNetwork
The Yankees reportedly still have “serious interest” in Blake Snell. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/wAjwxpwtCw
Mark Feinsand @Feinsand
Blake Snell has an offer on the table from the Yankees, per source, though the Angels and Giants remain possibilities for the reigning NL Cy Young winner.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees offered Snell a five-year, $150 million deal in January before pivoting to Stroman but “still have serious interest in him” and are “waiting to see if his asking price drops on a long-term deal or if he agrees to take a short-term contract that could pay him in excess of $35 million a year.”
The current rotation features Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Stroman, Nestor Cortés and Clarke Schmidt, a solid current group that will be electric if Rodón and Cortés pitch up to their potential after inconsistent and injury-riddled 2023 campaigns. Snell, however, would undoubtedly upgrade that group.
It remains to be seen if the Yankees will pull the trigger on a player like Snell or Jordan Montgomery, but it was very clear that the team recognized it needed some sweeping changes after a brutal 82-80 season.
The AL East is stacked, with playoff teams last season in the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, and all of those teams are expected to be dangerous yet again in 2024 given their impressive young cores.
The Yankees have the star power to turn things around and be a threat, but adding another high-profile arm to the rotation would certainly aid in those efforts.
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