Yankees news: Troubling Sasaki trend, Cashman's Red Sox revenge, Gerrit Cole update

The New York Yankees' sleepy month of January took another hit on Monday, when they were one of several teams to be informed that they were no longer in the running to sign Japanese ace Roki Sasaki. New York's starting rotation is still in fine shape, with two aces at the top in Max Fried and Gerrit Cole to supplement Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. But this team needs as much talent as it can get its hands on to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in the National League, and Sasaki would've raised the ceiling considerably without breaking the bank.

Now, Brian Cashman will have to move on to other matters as he continues to supplement a roster that will look a whole lot different than it did last Opening Day. Here's everything to know from around the Yankees universe.

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Yankees news: Roki Sasaki whiff suggests New York no longer a destination for Japanese stars

It wasn't all that long ago that New York was the go-to destination for Japanese stars looking to make the jump to the Majors, from Hideki Irabu and Hideki Matsui to Kei Igawa, Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka. But since Tanaka came to the Bronx in 2014, the Yankees haven't been able to land a Japanese player of any significance, a trend that continued when the team wasn't even able to make Sasaki's final three.

It's easy to look back at the initial Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes as something of a paradigm shift. New York's presence across the Pacific was so significant that the Yankees were considered prohibitive favorites for Ohtani in the winter of 2017. But the two-way phenom chose the Los Angeles Angels instead, and by the time he hit free agency last winter, he wasn't even willing to grant the Yankees a meeting. (New York was in the running for Yoshinobu Yamamoto but fell short there, too.)

It's tough to identify any one reason for this troubling trend. But it's clear that, in an increasingly global world, the allure of playing in pinstripes simply isn't as big as it once was. Players can get endorsement dollars just about anywhere, and Japanese media will follow them wherever they land. Stars like Sasaki seem to prioritize the convenience of being closer to home

Yankees news: Former Met, Red Sox first baseman Dom Smith signs Minor League deal

It may not be the transaction fans were hoping for, but Cashman did add an infielder to the organization on Monday, agreeing to terms on a Minor League deal with first baseman Dom Smith. A first-round pick of the Mets way back in 2013, Smith never lived up to lofty expectations in Queens, posting a .733 OPS (99 OPS+) over parts of six seasons with the team. He's bounced around since then, splitting 2024 between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox.

Smith became an unlikely fan favorite in Boston last season, filling in for the injured Triston Casas and delivering a surprising number of clutch moments. He hit .237/.317/.390 (93 OPS+) over 84 games in a Red Sox uniform, with six homers and 20 doubles. The Yankees likely don't envision the lefty slugger as much more than Triple-A depth, although given Paul Goldschmidt's advanced age, having an experienced backup plan can't hurt.

Yankees news: Gerrit Cole set to enter Spring Training at full health

With Sasaki headed elsewhere (and Juan Soto now in Queens), there's now even more pressure on New York's existing rotation to perform in 2025. And that starts with the man at the top: Gerrit Cole, last season melting down during a brutal fifth inning of Game 5 of the World Series. Cole missed the first 75 games of the 2024 season with a right elbow issue and never seemed to be quite himself, wearing down a bit by the end of the year. (He infamously got pulled at just 88 pitches in an eventual Game 1 loss at Dodger Stadium.)

With a difficult season behind him, though, Cole seems ready to rebound in 2025, and he's already getting a head-start: “He actually took a little bit less time off this year and kind of kept the arm moving,” pitching coach Matt Blake told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. “He’s in the midst of his throwing program now, so I feel good about where he’s at.”

That Cole is not just feeling good but apparently feeling good enough to already start ramping up his throwing program is great news for the Yankees, who will need a full season from their former Cy Young winner in order to repeat as AL East champs and capture another pennant. Gil and Schmidt showed plenty of promise last season, and Rodon should at least be a solid mid-rotation option. But if Cole isn't pithcing like an ace, things feel a whole lot different.