MLB Rumors: Red Sox-Montgomery trap, Cubs crosstown trade, Blake Snell update

MLB Rumors: What's the latest on Blake Snell and the New York Yankees?

Blake Snell remains a free agent and spring training games are already underway.

Rarely does free agency stretch out this long, but this is the reality of the situation.

Snell, a client of Scott Boras, hasn't had much of a market forming around him, with the New York Yankees being the only team to have offered him a contract.

On Twitter, Jon Heyman of the New York Post provided the latest update on Snell and his talks with the Yankees, saying that the Yankees have a chance to land him and are still talking, but a path to a deal is not clear.

Yankees, Blake Snell are still talking

Given that Cody Bellinger, another client of Boras took a three-year bridge deal with the Chicago Cubs, there is a chance that the Yankees could approach Snell with a similar offer.

Bellinger's deal includes opt-out clauses after each of the first two years, so in order for the Yankees to be able to lure Snell with a shorter-term offer, they would need to include opt-outs and likely a higher average annual value.

The Yankees already have the reigning American League Cy Young, Gerrit Cole, in their rotation. Adding the reigning National League Cy Young would be a serious power play for 2024 and beyond, depending on the length of Snell's contract should he sign with the Bronx Bombers.

Heyman notes however, that the concept of a shorter-term deal is not something the Yankees believe works for them. The higher the AAV, the higher the tax, and opt-outs could ultimately result in the Yankees losing draft choices.

That could potentially open the door for other teams to step in and try to sign Snell. Teams such as the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are possibilities, as was noted last week by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.