"They felt $300M was a generous final offer" - MLB analyst offers insights into Yankees' pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto after Dodgers deal
When it came down to his final three options, Yoshinobu Yamamoto knew that he held all the cards. Despite never having pitched a single inning in MLB, the 25-year-old had monetary offers that most could only dream of at his fingertips.
According to Jack Curry of YES Network, both the New York Mets and Yankees laid down offers of $300 million for Yamamoto. However, the Dodgers were willing to go the extra mile to draw in the three-time Japanese league MVP.
"As the Yamamoto negotiations inched to a finale, they told teams he wanted $300M. The Dodgers, Yankees and Mets pushed to $300M. Then the Dodgers and Mets elevated to $325M. While the Yankees coveted the player, they felt $300M was a generous final offer. Now they must pivot." - Jack Curry
Fresh off their record-setting $700 million deal with Shohei Ohtani, as well as their $136 million contract with Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers decided to spare no expense. At the behest of GM Brandon Gomes, the Los Angeles Dodgers offered $325 million over twelve years, which Yamamoto was happy to accept.
According to Curry, the Yankees' felt as though $300 million was already a very generous offer given the circumstances. Had Yamamoto agreed to the $300 million deal, he would have become the fourth-highest-paid player on the Yankees, after Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, and Aaron Judge.
"Yoshinobu Yamamoto dissed the Yankees and Mets for Dodgers superteam riches. What comes next?" - New York Post
For the New York Yankees and their fans, the result can be described as nothing short of heartbreaking. Ever since Yankees GM Brian Cashman went to Japan to court Yoshinobu Yamamoto in September, much of the fanbase viewed the Yamamoto deal as a foregone conclusion.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was a big loss for the Cashman and the Yankees
At just 25 years of age, Yamamoto represented the rare opportunity for teams to ink a young, yet already dominant arm. Had Cashman and the Yankees been successful in the quest, they would have given themselves an ace that would be a core part of the team for the next ten or fifteen years.
Now, the team will need to resort to bridging the pitching gap with older, more temporary names. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto is another loss for Brian Cashman, dwelling on it is not something that the Yankees can afford to do at this point of the offseason.