Hal Steinbrenner spoke with reporters at spring training on Thursday, and while he declined to speak specifically on Blake Snell, he stressed that he would be open to making any additions to help the team.
“I'm not going to get into free agents,” Steinbrenner said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I'm just going to tell you that we continue to look at a lot of different options. Given where we are payroll-wise, any addition to the club is going to be a costly one, but I'm still willing to consider anything that comes my way, anything Cash and his team bring my way. I'll leave it at that. But we are not done trying to improve this team.”
While Steinbrenner added that the Yankees are not “close” on any signings or trades, he made it clear that pitching is always a priority.
“I don’t think you can have enough pitching, whether it’s bullpen or starter,” Steinbrenner said. “We have a great infield, we have a great outfield. But I don’t think you can have enough pitching. I say that every year…we’ll see what remains to be done or not done.”
Snell remains a name of interest given the Yankees’ previous reported contract offer to the reigning Cy Young winner, though Steinbrenner confirmed that the Yanks have a $300 million payroll, meaning they would pay 110 percent of every other dollar they spend towards the luxury tax, something the Bombers haven’t been keen on doing in recent years. Still, Steinbrenner reiterated that he would be willing to pay if presented with the right opportunity.
