Why Yankees Were Not Serious Suitors For Cy Young Ace at Deadline

Find out why the New York Yankees were not serious players for this Cy Young-winning ace at the trade deadline.

Jul 22, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell (7) delivers to the plate in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees were never really seriously in on this Cy Young-winning ace at the trade deadline.

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the San Francisco Giants wanted a top-100 prospect for lefty starter Blake Snell, and for the team acquiring him to pay down his salary which includes a $30 million player option in 2025. The Yankees are already in the 110 percent luxury tax bracket, so this option kept them away, as they are also "badly" hoping to retain superstar Juan Soto beyond this season, per Heyman.

Back in May, managing partner Hal Steinbrenner revealed to YES Network insider Jack Curry that the Yankees intended to approach Soto about an in-season contract extension, which would prevent him from hitting the open market this winter.

While a long-term deal during the 2024 season is unlikely to happen at this point, as Soto is expected to head to free agency, it sounds like the Yankees are going to make him their top priority in the offseason.

This should come as no surprise as the 25-year-old is having a big first-year in the Bronx, slashing .309/.436/.593 with a 1.029 OPS, 27 home runs and 77 RBIs in 106 games. Soto and AL MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge have been a lethal duo hitting back-to-back in the Yankee order, which is something the organization can build upon for the future.

But Soto won't be cheap, as he could command a deal north of $500 million. In addition to the Yankees, the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies are some other clubs, who should be among the top suitors for Soto's services in free agency.

Snell got off to a rough start this year, where he missed all of spring training and has also spent two separate stints on the IL. That being said, the southpaw has a strong track record, winning two Cy Young Awards in his career, and produced a 0.75 ERA in four July starts.

He could've certainly helped the Yankees, but the player option and the team's hopes to re-sign Soto appear to be why they didn't push harder.