One offseason move each MLB team needs to make

New York Yankees: Sign Shohei Otani

Japan’s Babe Ruth, Shohei Otani will be passing up a $100-million contract to come to the United States this year instead of a few years in the future. Otani wants to prove himself now, and he wants to play for a team that will allow him to pitch and hit. Unless a National League team is willing to let their big investment play the outfield on his off days, Otani will be looking strictly at AL teams.

Otani may be passing up millions to come over now, but he can still make that up by landing in a city with a robust Japanese population and potential for big endorsements. Money is not clearly the sole focus for Otani, but there are few better places in the American League for a Japanese import than New York.

It’s a safe assumption that Masahiro Tanaka will not opt out of his contract with the Yankees after an up-and-down season. It’s also a safe assumption that CC Sabathia will not be back next year. That leaves the Yanks with Luis Severino and Sonny Gray penciled in with Tanaka and Jordan Montgomery following on the back-end.

Otani is the most intriguing prospect to come out of Japan in quite some time. The 23-year-old hit .340/.413/.557 with eight home runs and 31 RBI this year for the Nippon Ham Fighters. On the mound, he spun a 2-2 record after being limited by injuries. In five years as a pro, Otani is 41-15 with a 2.56 ERA and 10.3 K/9. He is the real deal, and the Yankees need to make sure he ends up in the Bronx.