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MLB Rumors: Blake Snell-Yankees hint, Votto Reds return, Phillies backup plan

  • Blake Snell dropped a hint he could be headed to the Yankees.
  • Joey Votto could return to the Cincinnati Reds under one condition.
  • The Phillies can use money from their Yamamoto offer on Juan Soto.
ByCurt Bishop|
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MLB Rumors: Blake Snell dropped a hint he could be headed to the Yankees

The New York Yankees may not be done making moves just yet.

Even after signing Marcus Stroman to bolster their rotation, they could potentially be in on Blake Snell.

Earlier this week, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that Snell actually had an offer on the table for the reigning National League Cy Young winner.

However, talks have not progressed between Snell and the Yankees. Bryan Hoch, the team's MLB.com beat reporter, notes that there are "no new developments at this time."

This is despite the fact that Snell got Yankees fans excited by liking a recent photo of theirs on social media.

The Yankees appear to have a strong rotation entering the 2024 season, with reigning Cy Young Gerrit Cole at the top followed by Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodon, Stroman, and Clarke Schmidt. They'll be banking heavily on a bounce-back season from Rodon, who they signed to a six-year, $162 million deal last offseason.

But in case Rodon struggles again and is unable to remain healthy, the Yankees would be smart to make a play for Snell. Bringing him on board would allow the left-hander to make a return to the AL East.

The unfortunate reality for the Yankees is that signing Snell, even to a short-term deal, would put them over the competitive balance tax, as FanSided's Scott Rogust explains.

"The Yankees' current CBT payroll is above the $297 million tier. That means they will have to pay 110 percent of every dollar spent over that threshold. An example they provide is that if the Yankees offered Snell a one-year, $40 million deal, they would have to pay $44 million in taxes as well, bringing the total to $84 million."

So as you can see, the issue for the Yankees front office isn't just the money on Snell's theoretical contract, but also what it would cost them in taxes after the fact.

Snell came up to the Major Leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays and won his first Cy Young with them back in 2018.

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