Blake Snell impishly trolling Yankees fans on IG as free agent buzz grows louder

Whether free agent left-hander Blake Snell joins the New York Yankees or not, he's certainly enjoyed getting to know the fan base over the past few days.

Operating with the same energy online as Aaron Judge's wink-filled press conference, Snell has been all over Instagram while Scott Boras' Operation Yankee Payment cascades into overdrive. If you want to tag Snell in an Instagram story, don't worry. He'll view it.

If you want to photoshop him into pinstripes, he'll check that out, too. Snell has been viewing Yankee fans' jersey swaps like it's his job -- and, at the moment, it kind of is.

Perhaps most impishly, he's responded to at least one fan's story: a photo of the lefty and Judge hanging out at Citi Field, captioned "Always good catchin' up with the big fella". Snell's response to being told he could potentially "catch up" with Judge daily if he followed the Yankees' breadcrumbs? "The big fella". Yes, that was it. Yes, that means absolutely nothing. But right now, while stuck in stasis, it also kind of means everything.

Yankees target Blake Snell has been vocal on Instagram amid rumors

Judge and Snell have linked up several times before. When the pandemic shut down MLB in early 2020, they were paired on the league's Instagram Live feed. They've been close since their careers began at roughly the same time. Snell joined Judge for an All Rise Foundation event last Feb., which Judge tellingly had his foundation repost a few weeks back. The Yankees' captain, who rarely uses his own social media, posted a photo of Snell in May when the Padres visited town. That's what ignited the idea of a potential fit way back when -- before Snell revved up, captured the Cy Young and became untradeable last summer.

This also wouldn't be the first time the league's most streaming-forward superstar has handled business on IG. He confessed several years back that he targeted Padres outfielder Wil Myers on the platform in order to coerce him into giving up his jersey number, following the lefty's trade out of Tampa. The man simply lives on Instagram. He can be reached.

Will Judge's assertion that the Yankees might just come up with some more pitching before the season end with the Snell signing he's clearly begging for? Who's to say? Snell accepting anything less than the Yankees' initial offer would feel like a reason to fire his agent, but if New York's opening salvo is still on the table, it would be wild for him not to take it. Come on, man. Only one team's got the Big Fella.

And oh, wouldn't you know it, the rumor mill really went nuts on Wednesday night, with everyone from Talkin' Jake to Marty Mush getting antsy. We're one Passan Bomb away from Twitter -- and Snell's Instagram -- exploding.