Could Recent Injury News Hurt the Angels' Chances of Landing Blake Snell in Free Agency?

The path may not be as clear as it was a few days ago.

The MLB regular season kicks off in eight days when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres open their seasons in Korea — and Blake Snell is still a free agent.

The reigning National League Cy Young award winner is yet to sign with a team, and at this point, it may be getting too late for him to be ready by Opening Day wherever he signs.

The clock continues to tick for Snell to find a new home, and the latest update came on Monday night from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who said Snell's agent Scott Boras and the Angels are continuing to discuss the All-Star free agent. However, he made it clear the sides "still have work to do."

The Angels remain one of the most talked about landing spots, but a recent injury in Major League Baseball could re-open the Snell sweepstakes to an American League powerhouse.

New York Yankees' ace Gerrit Cole is dealing with an issue in his right elbow. The team is conducting MRIs and getting multiple opinions, but as of Tuesday, there's some doubt he'll be ready for Opening Day. That's the extent of the update for now.

Also on Tuesday, it was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today that the Yankees made an offer to the Chicago White Sox for ace Dylan Cease — so clearly, they're focused on adding pitching.

The Yankees, while awaiting news on Gerrit Cole, have re-engaged with the Chicago White Sox and made a new proposal for ace Dylan Cease, but the new offer once again did not include prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 12, 2024

If Cole's diagnosis is serious enough where the Yankees feel like they need to add another ace-level pitcher — and if they're unable to come to terms with Chicago for Cease — Snell or free agent Jordan Montgomery make a ton of sense.

The Yankees would seem like a perfect fit for Snell, who would get to play for a major market team focused on winning while also likely getting the money he's looking for. However, the hold up has seemed to be the Yankees' willingness to match anything Snell wanted.

So, as the waiting game continues, it appears Snell and Boras were holding out for something to happen to force a team's hand — and an injury to the reigning American League Cy Young winner could be just that.

It remains to be seen what Cole's injury is, and if the Yankees would even consider Snell — but a significant injury could definitely make the Snell sweepstakes a lot more interesting.