MLB Rumors: Blake Snell-Yankees Plan B, early Juan Soto favorite, Hernandez’s 4 suitors

After months, MLB free agency may finally be coming to an end. Early Sunday morning featured one of Scott Boras’s five remaining major free agents finally signing a deal, with Cody Bellinger reuniting with the Cubs on a three-year deal that has an option after every year for Bellinger to get out and re-enter the open market.

Four Boras clients remain: J.D. Martinez, Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell. Will they sign soon? Spring Training is already underway.

Here are other rumors around the majors to know about as the offseason finally stares down its finish line.

Kiké Hernández is down to four possible teams

Kiké Hernández thinks he’s LeBron James and is leaking out his free agency decision to reporters in an effort to ostensibly hype up his choice like he’s an All-Star deciding between his hometown midwest team and a tropical superteam in Miami.

Hernández spent last year with the Red Sox and Dodgers to the tune of a 74 OPS+ (26 percent worse than the average at the plate) and a horrific -18 outs above average.

Yet here goes his free agency as if he’s the best thing since sliced bread. Go off, king. You do you.

Hernández, according to Ken Rosenthal, is down to these four teams (subscription required): Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels.

Even in his career’s twilight, Hernández could be a good option to have as a fielding Swiss army knife who can play multiple infield positions and fill in in the outfield. If he can find his swing again, there’s potential value in an affordable deal to bring him in.

Juan Soto already being courted by cross-town Mets

Juan Soto hasn’t even played a single home game in the Bronx yet, but the cross-town Mets are already hoping they can sign him away from the now-incumbent Yankees in next year’s free agency. New York traded for him this winter to pry him away from the San Diego Padres, who acquired him from the Nationals.

Bob Heyman of the USA Today reports that the Mets are expected to aggressively pursue Soto and could be viewed as the favorites to land him in free agency.

Notably, his candidacy to be signed is quite some time off, and it’s unimaginable to see him taking enough of a step back to not be worth it as an offseason pursuit, but the Mets and every other interested team will surely be evaluating him throughout the year. While the Yankees may be hopeful they could extend him this year in-season to prevent him from getting to the open market, Scott Boras and his clients seldom negotiate such in-season deals. But perhaps the results of the Carlos Correa and Cody Bellinger deals, which resulted in prove-it contracts instead of longer-term agreements may change his tune.

The Mets have just recently recalibrated their building approach, with owner Steve Cohen previously going all-out on spending to try to build an amalgamation of stars. That didn’t work, and Cohen publicly professed to instead rely on the tried and true method of building up a farm system.

Mets fans would surely be excited about getting one of the best offensive players in the game, but there may be some low-key concern over whether or not such a spend is Cohen reverting back to his old methods of spend, spend, spend, no matter the fit or concern for long-term team building.

There’s still far too much time to be hanging your hat on any one outcome of Soto’s free agency destination.

Since reporting to Spring Training, there have been plenty of quotes dropped from players, coaches, and even owner Hal Steinbrenner that indicate the New York Yankees may not be done making moves to add to its already great on-paper squad for 2024.

The most obvious add would figure to be Blake Snell, NL Cy Young winner of 2023 who remains a free agent. Of course, he’s one of Boras’s clients.

After Boras and Bellinger took the Cubs for a $30 million payout in 2024 and 2025, it’s hard to see him taking the NL’s best pitcher of 2023 for a bargain deal, even this late in free agency. So, the Yankees apparently are looking elsewhere.

New York still prefers Dylan Cease over Snell according to Bob Nigthengale’s latest. The problem there is unlike Snell, who would cost just cash, Cease would be a trade. There lies the problem: The Yankees want to hold onto Spencer Jones and the White Sox are “insisting” on him being a part of the return, according to Nightengale.

Jones has already lit up Spring Training and more or less proven the Yankees instincts right. Simultaneously, though, it will only keep the Sox more interested in trading for him the better he plays. It’s hard to see any one side pulling the trigger here since neither has any reason to be desperate. New York already added Marcus Stroman to fill out its rotation. Cease doesn’t hit free agency until 2026, so Chicago is in no rush as it has no plans to compete in the immediate future.

The Yankees may prefer Cease, but Snell may be the more likely (or even a reunion with Jordan Montgomery, another Boras client?). That’s by no means a bad backup plan if the Yankees are going to add more pitching. Snell would give the Yankees rotation both 2023 Cy Young winners.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as MLB Rumors: Blake Snell-Yankees Plan B, early Juan Soto favorite, Hernandez’s 4 suitors.