MLB Rumors: Yankees cheaped out on bigger fish before signing Marcus Stroman

The New York Yankees landed a new starting pitcher in Marcus Stroman but they were vying for an even bigger target before settling on the former Cubs All-Star.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees were in talks with Padres free agent Blake Snell but they "declined to meet the asking price" and moved on to Stroman instead.

Depending on what Stroman does in pinstripes, this could go down as one of the bigger sliding doors decisions for the Yankees.

Yankees wouldn't pony up for Blake Snell but it might not be the end

Snell is coming off his second Cy Young Award in 2023. He had a 2.25 ERA with a 14-9 record for the Padres.

Next to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aaron Nola, Snell is arguably among the top free agent pitchers on the market this year. He's certainly in a tier above Stroman, whose age, shaky end to the 2023 season and history of controversy make him more of a risky signing.

Will the Yankees regret passing on Snell? Or will they be proven right to avoid a pitcher with noted control issues?

Time will tell. At this stage, New York missed out on Yamamoto and Snell, and couldn't get anything going with the likes of Jordan Montgomery and Dylan Cease, settling for a third-tier option. That's not going to put a feather in Brian Cashman's cap.

Then again, Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggested this might not be the end for the Yankees and Snell.

Passing on Snell for Stroman is one thing. Getting both Snell (or Cease) and Stroman is a whole other possibility that would certainly get a round of applause from Yankees fans.

Hey, the Dodgers are having their cake and eating it too this year. Maybe New York can too.