Are the New York Mets interested in starting pitcher Blake Snell?

A previous report from Jim Bowden of The Athletic suggested that the Mets could “pivot” to Snell if Yoshinobu Yamamoto signs elsewhere in free agency.

“Snell’s market has been quiet but most team executives believe that if Yamamoto declines the Mets’ offer, they will pivot to Snell,” Bowden wrote.

On Saturday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that New York will have a different strategy in free agency, however.

“So, if the Mets miss out on Yamamoto, they are not expected to simply pivot to the next-best available free-agent pitcher whether that be Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery,” Sammon wrote.

The Mets' interest in Snell, whether it exists or not, appears to be contingent upon Yamamoto's free agency decision. Yamamoto is arguably the best free agent still available and New York wants to sign him. Other teams such as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox are reportedly interested in Yamamoto as well.

Regardless of where Yamamoto signs, whether it be with the Mets or another team, Mets fans should not expect the ball club to immediately begin to pursue Blake Snell, according to Sammon.

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Snell's free agency is in an uncertain position. Despite winning the NL Cy Young award in 2023, his market has seemingly been quiet for the most part. Sure, he's receiving some interest, but not as much as a Cy Young winner typically would.

In all fairness, he happened to hit free agency in the same offseason as Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, arguably MLB's best player ever, received all of the headlines before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Many free agents were waiting for Ohtani to sign as well.

Now, starting pitchers seem to be waiting for Yamamoto to make his decision. Snell may simply be waiting for Yamamoto to choose his team.

It will be interesting to see where Snell ends up signing. Additionally, the Mets' free agency approach will be fascinating to follow moving forward as well.