Yankees could steal Blake Snell from LA Angels following Gerrit Cole injury concern

C'mon! The Los Angeles Angels were so close to making something good happen this offseason. Leave it to the New York Yankees to screw things up.

The Angels have had nothing but bad news this offseason. Shohei Ohtani left, Mike Trout was more noncommittal than he's ever been regarding his future in Anaheim, and Anthony Rendon said what Angels fans had known for years - baseball is not a top priority for him.

Then, a glimmer of hope emerged from the clouds, as it was reported over the weekend that the Angels were the favorites to land reigning NL Cy Young Award-winner Blake Snell. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Snell is willing to sign a short-term deal with opt outs, which would be welcome news for a team that's been burned by long-term contracts in the past.

Yankees could steal Blake Snell from LA Angels following Gerrit Cole injury concern

But there's another team who's been linked to Snell all offseason. And while nothing has materialized quite yet, the New York Yankees could re-enter the Snell conversation after getting a bit of bad news concerning the reigning AL Cy Young Award-winner.

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will have an MRI on his right elbow. Yankees manager Aaron Boone broke the news to reporters on Monday, citing Cole's difficulty bouncing back following his spring outings.

This couldn't have come at a worse time for the Angels. By now, everyone saw Snell's Instagram post over the weekend with the two eye emojis, hinting that a deal was imminent. But don't be surprised if this latest development halts whatever progress has been made, as Snell's camp could now be holding the upper hand in potential negotiations with the Yankees.

The Yankees have reportedly been unwilling to blow past the Competitive Balance Tax. But with a roster loaded with talented bats like Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees can't be afraid to expand the payroll if their top pitcher is out for an extended amount of time.

Sorry, Angels fans, but it's a good bet that the Snell saga isn't coming to an end anytime soon. If Cole's MRI results don't paint a rosy picture for the Yankees, the bidding war for Snell's services could intensify.

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