While it might take two to tango, the New York Yankees wisely avoided a potentially fatal mistake and gave superstar player Shohei Ohtani a record deal.
The Yankees never really had a chance because Ohtani wanted to stay on the West Coast and the Los Angeles Dodgers always had a lead. However, it may have worked out perfectly for the Bombers, who can spend on Juan Soto to extend him beyond the 2024 season and make an aggressive move for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Sure, Ohtani is an international star, and the Yankee certainly could have used his elite bat in the lineup, but Soto will certainly suffice. At 25 years old, the Dominican Republic native is already on track to enter the Hall of Fame and will have approximately $30 million in his final year of arbitration. Soto could make a deal worth more than $400 million next year, but it won’t be even close to what Ohtani just put on the market. He has secured a 10-year, $700 million contract that will pay $70 million per season. While Ohtani tries to defer money to create salary flexibility for the Dodgers, he gets every penny he puts on the market and can better spread their money. A contract of that size is always a risk, especially since Ohtani just underwent Tommy John surgery and won’t be able to pitch until 2024. There’s no guarantee he’ll be able to repeat his past success, but given his work ethic and dominance, there’s no doubt he will be a dominant player for a long time to come. Fortunately, the Yankees are targeting younger, more durable talent, which is exactly why Soto was such a perfect choice. Yamamoto will have suitors including the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets, but the Yankees are willing to spend money and the Japanese national star is also 25 years old and has pitched at least 170 innings in three consecutive years.Things will likely heat up on Yamamoto’s side in the coming days as he begins meeting with the team in the United States.
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