The New York Yankees made the second-biggest move of the MLB offseason by acquiring All-Star outfielder Juan Soto. With the Yankees lineup for 2024 set, New York has now turned its attention to pitching.
New York is enamored with Japanese right-handed pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is the best starter to come to MLB from overseason in years. However, the Yankees are facing stiff competition from Yamamoto from the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox, forcing them to start thinking of backup plans.
- New York Yankees bullpen stats 2023: 3.34 ERA (1st in MLB), 9.09 K/9 (15th), 4.2 fWAR (16th), .219 batting average allowed (1st), 1.23 WHIP in 619 innings pitched
Related: New York Yankees facing more competition for second Japanese pitcher
The Mets and Yankees are believed to be the two co-favorites for Yamamoto. While the Mets’ backup plan shifts focus to mid-tier free agents, it appears the Yankees’ front office will try one of two different approaches if they can’t land the Japanese ace.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Yankees will be even more aggressive in MLB free agency if they are unable to land Yamamoto. While Blake Snell could be off the market with a National League team favored for him, New York has alternatives.
The Yankees have already discussed a reunion with Jordan Montgomery, who pitched well at Yankee Stadium during his time in New York. While the club would go after the best free-agent starters available, one team source also proposed another option.
A team source who spoke with Rosenthal described a “super-charged” bullpen, which the Yankees could use to mitigate some of the questions in their rotation. While relying on injury-prone starting pitchers and AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole is risky for a World Series contender, New York could mitigate the risk by having the best bullpen in MLB.
- New York Yankees rotation stats: 4.44 ERA (18th), 8.93 K/9 (10th), 9.2 fWAR (20th), .242 batting average allowed (8th), 1.24 WHIP (10th) in 820.2 innings pitched
Related: NL team may have outbid New York Yankees for Yoshinobu Yamamoto with this offer
It would present a shift in free-agency strategy, but there’s still time for New York to pivot. The Yankees could sign All-Star closer Josh Hader and potentially pair him with a reliever like Robert Stephenson (3.10 ERA, 0.88 WHIP). It would save the Yankees money long-term and create more payroll flexibility for future moves.
Based on the contract Yamamoto is expected to land, signing him will likely be the lone big move made moving forward by the Yankees or Mets. Whichever cross-town rival falls short will still have a few options remaining.
