The New York Yankees are, as of Wednesday afternoon, close to adding $30 million to their payroll.
A trade for Juan Soto was near the finish line, per multiple MLB insiders and reporters, and could be announced in the next few hours.
Despite what many people could believe, that important payroll addition won’t stop the Yankees from making a run at other expensive free agents.
In fact, with their pitching depth affected by the Alex Verdugo and Soto trades (if the latter ends up materializing), they would need to add a pitcher or two.
To the surprise of many, the Yankees are still very much interested in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and will still pursue him even if their payroll significantly exceeds the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold.
“Source: Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to meet with the Yankees in the U.S. on Monday. The Yankees are seen as one of the top candidates to sign Yamamoto, along with the Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers, and Cubs,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.
Source: Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to meet with the Yankees in the U.S. on Monday.
The Yankees are seen as one of the top candidates to sign Yamamoto, along with the Red Sox, Giants, Dodgers, and Cubs. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 6, 2023
We would add the New York Mets to the list of favorites to land Yamamoto, and the Yankees as a real possibility.
The Yankees have a meeting scheduled with the Japanese ace, who posted a microscopic 1.21 ERA in 2023 with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan.
He is now expected to surpass $200 million with his next contract, and some folks expect the bidding to reach nearly $300 million.
Yamamoto is a highly accomplished right-hander with elite command, a high-octane fastball, a filthy splitter, a curveball, and a cutter/slider, so he appears to have the tools to succeed at the highest level and justify the heavy investment.
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