Blake Snell to Yankees? Why Rumor Mill and Hopeful Fanbase Shouldn’t Expect It

Scott Boras is in an unusual position. The superagent’s ability to extract a big deal for his clients is unparalleled. Moreover, his habit of stretching free agencies till the later stages of the offseason has always proved fruitful. Or it did until now. All four of his clients remain unsigned, including Blake Snell. Has the superagent finally bitten off more than he could chew?

Snell’s free agency is perhaps the most surprising aspect of this offseason. How can a player who has just won his second Cy Young award find so much difficulty in getting a deal? More importantly, are the links with the New York Yankees actually feasible? What if they’re part of some grand strategy of Scott Boras?

The Yankees’ links with Blake Snell could just be a strategy 

Days earlier, reports began emerging that Snell was ready to revisit the Yankees’ offer. Interestingly, they said the Bombers still had an offer on the table. While they never clarified if the offer was the same as before or not. The bottom line was that the New York-based team was in. But now a report from NJ.com has called those links “total BS”. That begs a question – what exactly is happening between the 27x World Series champions and the 2x Cy Young awardee?

There are multiple answers to this question. The first being, the Yankees are genuinely interested. The second being, Scott Boras is creating an environment to increase his client’s price again. While there’s no way to know what’s true, diving a little deep wouldn’t cost anything.

For starters – what if the Yankees are interested? In that case – they’ll have to incur a 110% tax on anything they pay Snell. In short, a $30 million salary will cost $63 million to the Yankees. Then there’s the fact that because Snell rejected the qualifying offer, signing him would have penalties.

The Pinstripes will lose their second and fifth pick in July drafts and $1 million in international pool. So it becomes a little hard to believe that they’re interested. Especially as everything till now has hinted at them being quite happy with their current rotation. 

Read more: New York Yankees’ Blake Snell Pursuit Sees Negative Update, Scott Boras’ Valuation Halts Talks

That brings us to the second option – what if this is a giant plan from the master negotiator Scott Boras?

Perception to play a major role from this stage 

Because no one other than the Yankees has made a tangible offer, Boras has found himself in a weak position. Negotiation 101 says – when you’re weak, try to look strong. NJ Advance Media’s Randy Miller wrote that “Boras is embellishing the Yankees’ interest to drive up Snell’s price for other potential suitors like the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels.”

So if reports of the Yankees being interested have even a little effect, suddenly Snell becomes a wanted man. That inadvertently benefits Boras in his talks with these two teams. Could this be true? Again, there’s no way to know, but would it be surprising if it is?

Read more: New York Yankees’ Payroll Reality Impacts Pitching Pursuit, Crucial Snell and Montgomery Talks at Risk