Blake Snell's reported Astros asking price is biggest indictment of Scott Boras yet

It's an astounding fact, but neither the AL nor NL Cy Young winner is likely to start on Opening Day this season. Gerrit Cole is injured for at least two months, while Blake Snell has yet to sign a free-agent deal to his liking.

Rarely will I ever feel bad for Scott Boras, but there's a vendetta out against his clients. Snell, Jordan Montgomery and more will not receive fair market value, in part because Boras overplayed his hand.

Earlier in the offseason, Snell reportedly received offers that would far exceed the overall value in his contract should he sign with the Astros this coming week. The Yankees reportedly offered Snell a six-year contract worth $150 million, but that wasn't enough. Now, the best offer the 2023 NL Cy Young winner can retrieve is (per Bob Nightengale) a two-year, $66 million deal.

To make matters worse, Houston is balking at that asking price, even on a short-term deal.

No one looks worse than Scott Boras over Blake Snell negotiations

Boras played hardball all offseason with both Snell and Montgomery, and has failed to find a new home for either player. Snell is the defending NL Cy Young winner, while Montgomery led the Texas Rangers to the World Series.

While cheap owners and failed local TV contracts can and should be blamed to some extent, Boras misjudged the market entirely, and has since pivoted to short-term deals with the hope of helping his clients reach free agency again next winter, when perhaps owners will be a little more frivolous with their spending.

Snell, in particular, is rather unpredictable. While he has the talent to be one of the game's top pitchers and often is, he also lacks control and can drop off at any given moment. This is the argument teams have used against Boras at the negotiating table.

In the end, it was Boras who failed to get his client the long-term commitment he sought. And if the Astros become the latest team to balk at a short-term deal, Snell may be out of options just weeks before Opening Day.