TRENDING NOW: Despite reports, ESPN Insider predicts the Yankees will sign the Cy Young winner.

The whispers about Blake Snell are unabated. The current NL Cy Young winner, Snell, is expected to wear the pinstripes, according to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, despite a story from NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch that appeared to rule out any possibility of Snell joining the New York Yankees. Passan did reveal that the Los Angeles Angels are another team interested in Snell. Still, he believes that the Yankees are the most likely team to sign Snell and that the Angels and Yankees would be his final two suitors. During Friday’s Los Angeles Dodgers-San Diego Padres spring training game broadcast on ESPN, Passan made this prediction.

In an attempt to counter the Snell reports, Klapisch’s source said that team owner Hal Steinbrenner’s remark about “looking to improve” was referring to either strengthening the bullpen or making a deal at the deadline. The Yankees would also be subject to 110% in tax penalties due to their violation of the luxury tax, more than tripling the already outrageous cost of Snell.

And even then, Passan is basing this on what he knows from his own sources, what each MLB team requires, and whether or not a team can afford to take this kind of a risk. In terms of sources, Passan is possibly the most trustworthy MLB insider when it comes to breaking news, therefore his statements might be taken more seriously than Klapisch’s. In terms of necessity and cost, the Yankees are by far the most valuable team in the league based on income, and the Bronx Bombers would become genuine World Series contenders with Snell’s signing thanks to their all-star lineup and rotation.

There have been a lot of conflicting stories regarding the Snell sweepstakes, but Yankee fans should be optimistic about their team’s chances if a reliable source like Passan forecasts that he will go to the Bronx.