Why Yankees Should Avoid This Cy Young Winner in Free Agency

There are a few reasons why the New York Yankees and one of baseball's best pitchers may want to avoid each other in free agency.

Sep 5, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Blake Snell (7) catches the ball during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Per usual, the New York Yankees are expected to be major players in this upcoming offseason's free agency market.

In addition to going all-in on re-signing Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole, the Yankees will also likely look to fill a few positional needs. Among those are adding consistent offensive threats at the corner infield positions, shoring up the back end of their bullpen, and bringing more firepower to their starting rotation.

There are a few elite starting pitchers who are likely to become unrestricted free agents this offseason. In addition to names like Jack Flaherty and Max Fried, Cy Young winners Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell will also most likely be seeking a new deal this winter.

The Yankees could be in play for any of these pitchers. However, an October 11 article from Bleacher Report's Joel Rueter explained why he believes New York would be the "worst landing spot" for Snell.

"It's generally wise not to put too much stock in a pitcher's performance at away ballparks, but Snell has a large enough sample size at Yankee Stadium from his time in Tampa Bay that it's difficult to ignore his struggles," Rueter wrote.

"In 12 starts and 48.1 innings at Yankee Stadium, he has a 2-5 record with a 5.77 ERA and 1.57 WHIP, though he hasn't made an appearance there since 2020.

"The Yankees already owe Carlos Rodón a ton of money and have big free-agency decisions to make with Juan Soto and Gerrit Cole, so they should steer clear of the Snell market," Rueter concluded.

Snell is coming off an excellent season with the San Francisco Giants, where he posted a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched.

His contract includes a player option to stay with the Giants after this season, which he's expected not to exercise to test the free agency waters for the second consecutive year.

While Snell will bolster some MLB team's starting rotation, Rueter clearly doesn't think he'll be doing so for the Yankees.