The Yankees ‘prefer’ this mega transaction over landing Blake Snell

As Opening Day approaches, the New York Yankees are looking to add to their rotation.

According to USA Today MLB source Bob Nightengale, the Yankees have offered a five-year, $150 million contract to Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who is now a free agent.

However, he has stated that the Yankees would like to acquire a top-of-the-rotation arm by trading for one of the most sought-after pitchers on the market.

“The New York Yankees would prefer to trade for Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease instead of signing free agent Blake Snell, but they are at a standstill with the White Sox,”

Nightengale said in a statement. “They refuse to part with top outfield prospect Spencer Jones in any package for (Cease) while the White Sox are insisting on him.”

Nightengale previously reported that the Yankees are unwilling to part with Jones, who hit a 470-foot home run in his Spring Training debut, in a proposed trade with the White Sox.

However, this update indicates that Cease remains the team’s top pitching target even as negotiations with Snell progress. Nightengale stated that the team’s prospective tax bill has been a major stumbling block in the negotiations.

“The Yankees say they will not consider a short-term deal or early opt-outs with Snell because of a luxury-tax surcharge,” according to the report. “They offered a five-year, $150 million contract for Snell in January but there was no counter-offer. If the Yankees signed Snell, they would be taxed at 110% while also losing two draft picks.”

Dylan Cease Would Bring a Durable One-Two Pitching Punch to the Yankees

The Yankees may regard durability as a crucial factor in choosing Cease over Snell, even if they do not value their top prospect from last year, Jones.

Snell has only tossed 180.2 innings in eight MLB seasons, including his Cy-Young-winning season in 2018. Meanwhile, Cease is three years younger and pitched for 184 innings in 2022.

Snell has more accolades, is more consistent when pitching, and has nastier stuff, but his projected cost may not justify all of that in the eyes of the Yankees, especially considering his limited durability.

According to the New York Daily News, Snell could be looking for a nine-year contract worth up to $270 million. Cease just signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the White Sox to avoid arbitration.

While the Yankees try to rebuild a staff plagued by injuries and a significant drop off after ace Gerrit Cole, Cease may bring just enough punch to give them hope of returning to the playoffs and a World Series run In 33 games last season, he had a 4.58 ERA, down from a stellar 2.20 ERA over 32 starts the prior year.

The Yankees expect that Marcus Stroman (3.95 ERA in 2023), Carlos Rodón (2.88 ERA in 2022 before injury), and Nestor Cortes (2.44 ERA in 2022 before injury) can improve their starting pitching staff.

Cole made 33 starts for the second consecutive season, and Cease, paired with the consistency of those three starters, would give the Yankees a rotation that could rival any other team. When might the New York Yankees trade for Dylan Cease?

The White Sox are negotiating a good deal for Cease and hope to start him on Opening Day. If the team continues to underperform on the field, this may change before the 2024 trade deadline.”

If the White Sox struggle as much as expected during the 2024 season, perhaps the franchise will consider moving Cease to a more serious level,” Erin Walsh wrote via Bleacher Report. “For now, it looks like he’ll be remaining on the South Side to begin the year.”