MLB insider believes New York Yankees' top target will be Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto - "If they spend any big money"
Japanese ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has already been tied to the New York Yankees. He threw a no-hitter while Brian Cashman was in attendance that kickstarted his free-agency pursuit.
The Bronx Bombers are coming off a lackluster season and could use the help. Pitching was a thorn for the team all season long with starters going on and off the IL and looking unimpressive in their returns.
Signing Yamamoto would be huge for the Yankees. He would slot in nicely amongst Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon. MLB insider Joel Sherman believes this will be the team's biggest free-agent target.
"If they spend any big money this offseason, it will be to try and land (the) Japanese ace," Sherman said.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto plays in the Nippon Professional Baseball League for the Orix Buffaloes. This season, he was tremendous. In 23 games started, he compiled a 16-6 record with a 1.21 ERA.
He was so spectacular this season that he won the pitcher's Triple Crown. He has been arguably the best pitcher in any professional league this season.
However, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will not be an easy signing. The New York Yankees are not the only team calling his phone. Some other teams tied to the Japanese flamethrower are the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox.
Those will not be the only teams going after Yamamoto. Other teams will likely be all over him as the offseason progresses.
New York Yankees could really use Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Pitching really hurt the New York Yankees this season. It was one area that the team could not get consistent results from. Either pitchers were hurt, or they were wildly underperforming.
Both Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino had to start the season on the IL. They stayed on the IL for quite a while, making the Yankees play musical chairs with their rotation.
After returning healthy, both struggled mightily. Rodon ended the year with a 3-8 record and a 6.85 ERA. Severino had a 6.65 ERA with a 4-8 record. You cannot expect to win many series with that kind of pitching.
The front office will be under a microscope this offseason. The fanbase will explode if they have to see another mediocre season like the one they just witnessed.
It will be interesting to see how aggressive the Yankees are in pursuing Yoshnobu Yamamoto.