The New York Yankees are having a strong offseason, landing superstar Juan Soto and left-handed hitting outfielder Alex Verdugo.
But they aren’t finished. According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, the Yankees are the favorites to sign superstar Japanese free agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Yankees met with Yamamoto on Monday and the meeting was said to have gone well. They will now play the waiting game as the star hurler is being pursued by a number of other teams. Yamamoto also met with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts were present. In addition to the Yankees and Dodgers, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns flew to Japan to visit Yamamoto, and they are also in the running to land him. Should the Yankees sign Yamamoto, it would create a lethal 1-2 punch atop the Yankees’ rotation with AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole. And if Carlos Rodon bounces back to his career norms in 2024, the Yankees would have a strong 1-3. Yamamoto, 25, is expected to earn a contract well north of $200 million. The expectation is that he will make his decision soon, and the Yankees are reportedly the favorites.
Leave a Reply