Report: Blake Snell Has One Team He Favors in Free Agency Decision

Top free agent pitcher Blake Snell has a whole host of teams he can choose from when he makes his free agency decision. But word from Insider Andy Martino of SNY is that Snell has one team he’s particularly interested in pitching for—the New York Yankees.

Blake Snell has privately expressed an interest in playing for the Yankees, per @martinonyc pic.twitter.com/Sly2vhOprl

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 4, 2024

According to Martino, "League sources say that two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell has privately expressed an interest in playing for the Yankees, though he has plenty of other suitors". 

Coming off his second Cy Young award, this one with the San Diego Padres, Snell is in for a massive contract this winter when he makes his decision. The AL East would be a familiar spot for him, having won his other Cy Young with the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2018.

The Yankees have already made one big splash this off-season by trading for outfielder Juan Soto, but adding Snell would give them two Cy Young aces at the top of the rotation along with Gerritt Cole, who won the AL award last year. 

The Bronx Bombers are also said to be pursuing two other top pitching free agents, ex-Yankee Jordan Montgomery and another Japanese star coming over for his first tour of duty in the majors, Shota Imanaga. The Yanks already made a big pitch to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but lost out to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels are among the other teams pursuing Snell, who insiders say could command a contract worth up to $180 million. 

He finished 2023 with a 2.25 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 11.7 strikeouts per nine. He also led all big league starters in fewest hits allowed per innings pitched, at just 5.8 per nine innings. 

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