MLB Rumors: Blake Snell Expressed Interest In This Red Sox Rival

The Yankees missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but New York might have an inside track to signing one of this offseason's other prized free-agent starters.

Two frontline starters still are available on the open market, as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery were unsigned as of noon ET on Thursday. And according to SNY's Andy Martino, one of those star pitchers likes the idea of pitching in the Bronx.

"League sources say that two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell has privately expressed an interest in playing for the Yankees, though he has plenty of other suitors," Martino wrote in a column published Thursday. "At the moment, Snell seems a more likely fit in New York than Jordan Montgomery, with whom they have also talked."

MassLive's Chris Cotillo recently reported Snell might be drawn to a "shorter, more creative" contract with a team in "win-now mode." The Yankees can meet that criteria, as they boast a very talented roster and likely would be willing to meet Snell's financial demands. The 31-year-old also knows he can succeed in the American League East after pitching five seasons in Tampa Bay, where he won his first Cy Young Award in 2018.

Of course, this signing would not be good news for the Red Sox, as the idea of a two-headed monster of Snell and Gerrit Cole in the division is worrisome.