MLB Insider: Cy Young Winner Won’t Sign With The Yankees

The two-time Cy Young winner, according to at least one MLB insider, will wind up with a west coast team.

It’s still thought that the New York Yankees would try to sign two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell. However, it appears more and more that he would rather play for a team without pinstripes.

Despite Snell’s stellar resume, MLB expert Buster Olney recently stated on the Willard and Dibs podcast that he was betting the Los Angeles Angels will sign the top pitcher still available on the free-agent market.

Olney stated on the program that he was basing his forecast on discussions with Snell’s acquaintances and his conviction that the former starting pitcher for the San Diego Padres would like to stay in Southern California.

The fact that Snell is still unsigned is odd. Having won a Cy Young in each league since 2023, he is now in the elite group of pitchers to have done so in each league.

Snell finished with an MLB-best 2.25 ERA and went 14-9, garnering almost all of the first-place votes. He has now led the Majors in ERA twice. With the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, he finished 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA. That season, he was the AL Cy Young winner.

There have been reports for the past few weeks claiming that Snell has gotten an offer from the Yankees. According to a recent article in the New York Post, the Yankees were considering giving Snell a higher annual salary than they currently give Carlos Rodón, who makes $27 million.

However, the same website also stated that Snell was being monitored by four teams, including the Angels, who were not prepared to make a move.

Two things, according to Olney, may change Snell’s course: the amount of money being offered and any injuries that might compel a competitor to give Snell an offer close to what Snell’s agent, Scott Boras, is seeking.

With less than three weeks until Opening Day games, Snell is still sitting.