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Snell is an interesting case study in free agency.
On the one hand, there are fair and realistic durability concerns. He has never pitched more than 180.2 innings in a season and has reached the 130-inning mark just two times in his eight years as a major league pitcher.
Those durability concerns likely aren’t going to get better as the 31-year-old ages.
On the other hand, he is the reigning National League Cy Young winner. And it’s not as if the award was a fluke, as it was the second time he won the Cy Young in his career.
It is somewhat strange to see the reigning Cy Young winner who posted a league-best 2.25 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 234 strikeouts in 180 innings still available with March less than one week away, but that is the reality of this offseason for Snell.
Look for either the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Angels to end this period of uncertainty for the southpaw.
Last week, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the Yankees offered Snell a contract. Bob Nightengale of USA Today noted “they 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.”
With Juan Soto only under contract for the 2024 campaign, this is a World-Series-or-bust season for the Yankees. Adding Snell would only boost those championship chances and give them quite the one-two punch atop the rotation with Gerrit Cole.
It would also lengthen the rotation by pushing Marcus Stroman and Carlos Rodón back to provide more depth for the long season.
As for the Angels, they need someone to replace Shohei Ohtani as their ace. The reigning NL Cy Young winner is someone who could fit the bill, although he might hesitate to sign with Los Angeles if he is looking to compete for a World Series title this season.
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