The New York Yankees must feel real disappointment after letting Yoshinobu Yamamoto go to the LA Dodgers. Moreover, the Bronx Bombers need to get over the failure to land Yamamoto and look for other suitable deals. If they are going for Cy Young Award winners, then how about the NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell. He is a pretty good prospect. But the NY side was considering reuniting with Jordan Montgomery this offseason.
However, they won’t mind landing the NL Cy Winner, either. But it won’t be like a walk in the park for the Pinstripes to land either Montgomery or Snell. Like Yamamoto was a big deal with a lot of suitors waiting in line, Snell and Montgomery had other options as well. Who can say that Jordan or Blake won’t do the same thing that Yoshinobu did to the Yankees?
No Matter What Yankees Should Not Let Fear Stop Them From Pursuing Blake Snell
In fact, the Yankees might find it hard to have a reunion with Jordan Montgomery. After all, the Texas Rangers might not want to trade him following their maiden World Series win. On the other hand, Blake, being a Seattle product, might prefer to stay West. Moreover, the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants might look to get Blake Snell. Anyway, agent Scott Boras mentioned Snell won the Cy Young award on both the East and West Coast. Hence, any team that can offer Snell a competitive environment will have a good chance to acquire the 2023 NL Cy winner. Snell had a good experience in pitching in the east before he moved to the San Diego Padres.
Hence, Heyman of the New York Post advises the Yankees to take a chance on Snell if they want to finish the offseason on a positive note. Moreover, Jon Heyman thinks Blake is a better pitcher than Jordan. On top of that, Montgomery’s market will be much more robust than Snell’s. With Snell, the Bronx Bombers will have a chance to possess the best one-two pitching combo in the league. What could have been Cole-Yamamoto may as well be Cole-Snell, quite possibly.
How Yamamoto Disappointed The NY Side?
The Yankees were hoping to sign a superstar international pitcher for the long term this offseason. Moreover, the Japanese ace pitcher would solve the starting pitching problem of the Bronx Bombers. Other than Gerrit Cole, the Pinstripes do not have a star pitcher. However, Yamamoto was a top prospect with multiple MVPs and Sawamura Awards in the Nippon Professional Baseball. The Sawamura Award is equivalent to the Cy Young Award in Major League Baseball. Cole won the AL Cy Young Award last year.
Hence, the Yankees could have a deadly combination for their starting pitchers. But things went south when the Los Angeles Dodgers came up with a better offer. Jon Heyman of The New York Post feels Yamamoto must be a history buff. In the end, the Japanese ace pitcher opted to go with the West Coast preference and joined his countryman Shohei Ohtani. As a result, the Yankees find themselves in a worsening pitching situation.
