"I still think they're a potential World Series winner" - MLB analyst on Yankees' championship chances in 2024
The New York Yankees got Juan Soto and Trent Grisham from the San Diego Padres for several pitchers but failed to land Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old signed a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers as another Japanese star heads to Dodger Stadium after Shohei Ohtani.
This has led several teams, including the Yankees, to turn to other top starters available on the market. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery will be the next hurlers for the team looking to add star pitchers to their rotation.
During the recent episode of The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, the MLB Insiders discussed what the Yankees needed to do after failing to land Yamamoto.
"I think they like Montgomery, they have always liked him even when they traded him away," Heyman said. "Montgomery then went to the subsequent team and then to Rangers and went to the World Series. I think, they'd still like to get him back. I know they are looking at some other pitching and I still think they are a potential World Series winner."
Heyman mentioned that the Yankees have the best roster in the American League, with the best hurler in Gerrit Cole and the best hitter in Aaron Judge.
"They have a very good team but they underachieved last year," Heyman added. "I mean all those guys being hurt; Judge, Corter Rodon, I mean they are not all going to get hurt next year and I think they were better than the 82 win team. They have got one of the best hitters in the game, in Soto. So with a good pitcher, I think they are going to be really good."
"Nobody's better than Dodgers but they are going to be about as good as anybody in the AL. So I think they are in a pretty good shape."
New York Yankees' 2023 season
Ahead of the 2023 season, the New York Yankees signed their captain, Aaron Judge, to a blockbuster deal that will see him wearing Yankee pinstripes for the foreseeable future. However, the Yankees didn't come to act, as they finished fourth in the AL East with a subpar 82-80 record and missed out on October baseball despite big names.
One of the main reasons was the availability of star players like Judge (106 games), Anthony Rizzo (99 games), and Carlos Rodon (14 starts), who could have made a positive impact if not for injuries.
The team from the Bronx still needs a star pitcher to build their already competitive roster. It remains to be seen if either Montgomery or Snell end up signing with the team.