"Who got a hold of this seating chart?" - Gerrit Cole left amused after being seated next to Blake Snell at BBWAA dinner

The New York Yankees are heavily rumored to be in the free agency market for a reliever and Blake Snell has been linked, with the Yankees reportedly having offered him a contract. If he were to come to NY, Snell would team up with ace Gerrit Cole and form a formidable one-two punch.

The pairing makes a lot of sense to a lot of people and perhaps that is why Snell and Cole were seated next to each other at the Baseball Writers' Association of America dinner on Saturday.

MLB reporter Bryan Hoch took to X to share Gerrit Cole's comments on the seating plan, with the pitcher amused by the situation:

"Gerrit Cole said that he found it amusing that he was seated next to Blake Snell the whole night at the BBWAA dinner. 'Who got a hold of this seating chart?'"

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Yankees free agency rumors: A "surprise team" could swoop in for Blake Snell

While the New York Yankees have reportedly offered Blake Snell a contract, they are not the only team rumored to be pursuing him. The Los Angeles Angels are said to have made Snell their number-one priority and with the Yankees also in talks with the Chicago White Sox for Dylan Cease, they could gain the upper hand.

There is also the risk that another team swoops for Snell, with New York Post reporter Jon Heyman telling Bleacher Report:

“I think this is one of these situations now where it could go to any surprise team. I think [Snell] may be like Prince Fielder, who was never connected to Detroit, right? And then…he ended up signing for $214 million.”

Bleacher Report suggested the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks as potential landing spots, but at this stage where he will sign is anyone's guess.

As to whether Gerrit Cole actively tried to recruit Snell to the Yankees on Saturday is unconfirmed. However, with the two spending much of the evening together, it would be surprising if the topic didn't crop up at least once.