MLB Rumors: Yankees could offer record contract, Braves rotation shuffle, Javy Baez trade
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: The Yankees could offer a record contract to Yoshinobu Yamamoto
The New York Yankees are expected to offer Yoshinobu Yamamoto a contract that would surpass that of Masahiro Tanaka, which could make Yamamoto the highest-paid Japanese player in team history. Both Tanaka and Hideki Matsui are viewed as Asian baseball legends for a reason, and both played in New York. Brian Cashman also played a vital role in convincing or keeping both players in New York, so he could have a leg up on the competition.
Yankees plan to offer 25-year-old pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto an offer that significantly exceeds the seven-years, $155 million they gave Masahiro Tanaka, per @Yahoo_JAPAN_PR pic.twitter.com/44x0kRYtTk
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 11, 2023
Cashman was in Japan watching Yamamoto's no-hitter, per Yahoo Japan, and clearly liked what he saw. The Yankees are just one of several teams which plan to offer the starting pitcher once he is posted this offseason.
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FanSided's Zachary Rotman listed Yamamoto as a potential fit for the Yankees after his no-no over the weekend. This was all without prior knowledge of the Yankees interest:
"Both Luis Severino and Frankie Montas will be hitting free agency this offseason and it's extremely likely that neither will return to the Bronx. The spot is there for Yamamoto to take, but with the Yankees needing offense more, I'd say it's less likely he ends up there. They still cannot be ignored due largely to the fact that they clearly like him enough to be seriously scouting him."
If Hal Steinbrenner is willing to open up his wallet, the Yanks have room in their rotation for a player like Yamamoto. He will not come cheap, though.