Forget the champagne on ice, New York Yankees fans. The Bombers might be heading into the season with a pitching rotation as frosty as an October night.

Blake Snell, the two-time Cy Young champ with fire in his fastball and swagger in his step, looked like a surefire pinstripe acquisition. But hold your horses, because the negotiations seem stuck in a molasses swamp, leaving fans wondering: will Snell bring his Cy Young magic to the Bronx, or is this deal destined to strike out beyond the boundaries of saves?

The answer, like a Mariano Rivera cutter, is sharp and unpredictable. It’s a tangled web of cautious cash, Cy Young comparisons, and, believe it or not, a sneaky curveball thrown by none other than Marcus Stroman. Remember Carlos Rodon, last year’s $162 million gamble who couldn’t find the strike zone with a map and compass?

Why Snell’s Cy Youngs can’t buy New York Yankees

According to The NY Post, Snell’s camp was waving that red flag while rejecting the Bombers’ $150 million offer, arguing that their man’s Cy Young trophies, spotless medical record, and recent innings marathon make him a safer bet than Rodon’s rocky debut. But the New York Yankees aren’t convinced.

Snell’s asking price of $270 million is a bomb-sized budget buster, and even the enthusiastic endorsements of Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge haven’t bridged the gap. So, while Snell cools his heels, Rodon’s been sweating it out in Tampa, determined to prove last year was a fluke.

This underdog spirit might be just the siren song the Yankees need to hear, especially compared to Snell’s hefty price tag. And then there’s Stroman, the crafty righty who just inked an eight-figure deal with the Bombers. Is he a budget-conscious depth piece, or could he sneak into the ace role while Snell and Rodon duke it out?

This Cy Young showdown is hotter than a Judge’s grand slam in August, keeping the Bronx hot stove burning long after the last out. Will Snell’s Cy Youngs be enough to land him in pinstripes? Or will the team’s dependency on Stroman stealing the show with his sneaky fastball and bargain-basement price tag turn out to be a perilous gamble?

Yankees’ gamble on groundball genius with uptempo two-year deal

The New York Yankees crave pitching depth, and Marcus Stroman’s ground-ball wizardry piqued their interest. But hold your victory high-fives, Pinstripers, because the $37 million, two-year deal comes with a twist: injury risk.

Sure, Stroman’s first half of 2023 was Cy Young-caliber—a pristine 2.28 ERA and groundball parade. But a brutal second half, marred by hip and rib woes, raises eyebrows. In 2019, GM Brian Cashman called Stroman not a “difference-maker” and saw him as passable bullpen material. But times change.

Today, Stroman’s consistent excellence (3.48 ERA since 2019) and groundball mastery (career 52.5% rate) fit the Yankee mold perfectly, as pointed out by MLBTR.

So, New York Yankees faithful, buckle up for a potential rollercoaster. Stroman’s talent is as undeniable as his injury history is real. But hey, with just two years in pinstripes, the ride promises plenty of groundball fireworks, regardless of how it ends.