New York Yankees ‘Dropped the Ball’ by Not Trading for Recent Cy Young Award Winner

The New York Yankees not trading for the San Francisco Giants ace might come back to hurt.

Aug 7, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell (7) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees did what they had to do at the trade deadline, but it's certainly fair to suggest that the front office could've done more. Given some of the struggles from the roster leading into the deadline, there looked to be multiple holes to fill.

They've played better since the trade deadline, going 7-3 in their last 10 games and tying the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East, but as they saw in the middle of the year, things can change in the blink of an eye.

They did land a few bullpen arms, which might've been their biggest need. They also landed Jazz Chisholm, a very valuable player when he's healthy.

Still, the Yankees needed a starting pitcher, and they decided not to land one. Instead, they'll continue to roll out Nestor Cortes every five games. The left-hander has struggled in a big way this campaign, posting a 4.42 ERA in 134 1/3 innings pitched. 

There were arms out there to get, too, as they passed up on Jack Flaherty due to medical concerns. The Los Angeles Dodgers felt comfortable enough to trade for him, and he's proven them right so far.

Another name who was reportedly on the market was Blake Snell of the San Francisco Giants. Snell was linked to New York multiple times before the deadline, but the Giants ultimately decided not to trade him. That was likely due to them not getting a package back that they felt was needed for the 2023 Cy Young Award winner. 

That decision not to land him, however, was a mistake, Zach Pressnell of FanSided wrote. Pressnell took a look at three teams who dropped the ball by not trading for him, including the Yankees.

"New York needs an ace like Snell. They need it. Yes, they may not have the money to have seen Snell accept his player option next year, but that's such an unlikely scenario.

"The Yankees need to win this year if they want any chance of signing Juan Soto to a long-term contract in the offseason, which is priority number 1 in the Bronx. Trading for Snell in a deal headlined by Spencer Jones just makes sense."

Having Snell in this rotation instead of Cortes would make New York a better team. He's been one of the best pitchers in baseball since July 9, tossing a no-hitter in a recent outing. His swing-and-miss stuff is also among the elite in baseball over the past few years, which is exactly what this rotation could've used. 

Only time will tell if not landing him or another pitcher was the wrong decision.