The New York Yankees are looking to bolster their roster. Moreover, the Yankees have been looking for lefty outfielders like Juan Soto or Cody Bellinger. But the best thing for the Bronx Bombers would be the most valuable free agent available in the market, that’s Shohei Ohtani. However, the Japanese superstar did not show much interest in signing with the 27-time champions. But the NY side can keep pursuing the “Showtime.”
However, even if Ohtani says “No” or demands really high value that the Yankees can’t afford, Brian Cashman’s team can try to bring in another superstar free agent from Japan. That’s the superstar pitcher from the Orix Buffaloes, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Brian Cashman has a close eye on the pitcher, but he’s not the only one. Moreover, the Bronx Bombers should be ready to face a lot of competition in acquiring Yamamoto as he has a high demand ahead of the free agency. Also, there is a good chance that the Yankees might lose Yamamoto to their city rivals.
Mets Likely To Get Yamamoto, Hurting The City Rivals To Their Core
The Japanese pitcher is going to be too costly for the Yankees to acquire. Moreover, the Buffaloes can post him any day now. Then, he can start talking to the most prospective teams. However, the DraftKings gave the Yankees the fourth-highest odd to sign Yamamoto. The NY side has odds of +550. On the other hand, DraftKings gave the New York Mets the best odds at +220. The Boston Red Sox at +400 and the Los Angeles Dodgers at +450 got the second and third-highest odds, respectively, as they followed the Mets.
On multiple occasions this offseason, experts linked Yamamoto with the pinstripe team. Moreover, the Yankees need a boost in their rotation alongside Gerrit Cole. The Japanese pitcher is just 25 years old and can be a great future prospect for the NY side. He can play for the team for a long time. The Yankees have money to acquire the top free-agent pitcher. But if the rivals like the Mets or the Red Sox get Yamamoto, it would pain the Bronx Bombers for many years to come.
Yankees Seek Redemption This Offseason
At first, the NY side must reshuffle the roster. It is mainly because there are a lot of unwanted members in the team. Moreover, the NY side started taking the right step as they waived as many as six players as soon as the offseason started. It will help them gain more cap space. As a result, they will have enough space to afford the players they want this offseason. Moreover, the reason why it is so important to reshuffle the roster is because the Yankees had a horrible 2023 season.
For a few seasons previously, the Yankees could not go the distance after reaching the playoffs. But this year, they reached an unprecedented level of failure. The 27-time champions missed the postseason for the first time since 2016. They barely managed to maintain a winning season. Moreover, the Yankees ended with 82-80 in 2023. It has been a tremendous shame for the NY side to finish a season like they did this year. Hence, they need a significant change in the organization.
