Brian Cashman’s Sly Move? Subtly Exposing $150M+ Blake Snell Offer to Undercut His Thin Pitching Market

Did the New York Yankees lowball Blake Snell? Did they play hardball and then walk away? And were their moves more calculated than we were led to believe? It seems Yankees fans aren’t the only ones in the dark about the team’s pursuit of the former Cy Young Award winner.

There’s also speculation from those within the industry that Brian Cashman played a masterful game in the Snell sweepstakes, ultimately leveraging the trade talks to subtly weaken the ace’s overall market. An interview with the Yankees General Manager on the Talkin’ Yanks podcast has stirred the pot even further, with Cashman’s insights hinting at a wise business strategy.

Breaking down Cashman’s words on the Blake Snell offer

In the podcast, Brian Cashman sheds light on the New York Yankees’ flirtation with acquiring Blake Snell, offering a veiled glimpse into the finer details of the deal-breaker. “It’s not like you do official offer sheets… You just have conversations with agents in the marketplace. What are you thinking… What are you trying to obtain…” His words confirm that initial inquiries were more like “water balloons,” as Cashman himself puts it, hinting towards exploratory offers designed to gauge Snell’s $270 million asking price—one that reportedly went beyond or below the rumored $150 million offer that the Yankees made.

Additionally, Cashman hints that reported valuations may have been inaccurate: “I don’t know how like some of the reports about offers that were made… I’m not saying we didn’t make an offer, but the specificity of what was presented publicly wasn’t necessarily accurate.” Did the New York Yankees intentionally allow inflated figures to float, driving up Snell’s perceived value to other teams—or did they offer more than what met the eyes of the media?

Cashman emphasizes the strategic dance of negotiation by stating, “A lot of dancing around… what would you consider, what wouldn’t you consider, and us sharing what WE wouldn’t consider based on their responses too.” This statement subtly exposes the truthfulness of how the Blake Snell/Scott Boras camp had unrealistic expectations and that the Yankees were unwilling to play that game. But that’s not the end of the free agent’s saga with the Bombers, it looks like.

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Yankees’ sly move, Snell’s market undermined

Brian Cashman’s interview reveals a more calculated approach than meets the eye. The Yankees seemed focused on assessing Blake Snell’s market and gaining leverage rather than making a genuine acquisition push. Did they, perhaps, use those inflated potential offers to skew Snell’s value upwards? It could have easily made him less desirable to teams, wary of overpaying for his services. Throughout the process, Cashman seems to have masterfully manipulated the perception of Snell’s worth.

In an increasingly cut-throat trade market, Brian’s insights on the Snell negotiations are eye-opening. We may never know the entire story—whether the New York Yankees seriously intended to trade for Snell or used the talks as a smokescreen to influence the broader market. But it cannot be denied that Cashman’s strategic negotiation significantly impacted Blake Snell’s value, leading to a sluggish market all offseason.

Was this a brilliant move by the Bombers, securing a more favorable market for other potential pitching acquisitions? Or is this a regrettable case of playing their hand too perfectly and, ultimately, missing out on an elite arm? Only time will tell.

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