5 Gerrit Cole replacements the Yankees can sign immediately

1. Yankees can replace one Cy Young winner with another, Blake Snell

The Yankees are the only team with a strongly reported offer to Blake Snell. The two sides were evidently far apart a month ago, but circumstances change. If New York is suddenly faced with uncertainty about Cole's availability, Snell becomes a far more appealing option. He is a legitimate top-shelf ace who can lead the Yankees' rotation.

Snell led the NL in ERA (2.25) and allowed the fewest hits per nine innings (5.8) last season. He coughs up a few too many walks, but Snell is a truly dominant arm when he's healthy. He pushes high-90s with his fastball and racks up missed swings with a nasty slider. Should Cole return, the Yankees would have Cy Young-level production from a righty and a lefty atop the rotation. It doesn't get much better than that.

New York should have the offense to contend with Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Alex Verdugo. The real concern is pitching, especially if Cole is rendered unavailable or relatively ineffective by injury. Snell quells those concerns immediately. And, if he's available for a short-term deal with multiple opt-outs, that removes all the hand-wringing about his longevity. The Yankees should gladly hand Snell all the leverage he wants over the next few years, so long as it doesn't come with significant guaranteed money into his late 30s.

This is still the best possible outcome for the Yankees' offseason. Snell has earned a substantial payday. Him lasting so long has been perhaps the most surprising of all the Boras clients. There is a palpable desperation to add quality arms around the league. Snell is a two-time Cy Young winner. It's about time for the Yankees to pounce.