In the winter the New York Yankees also attempted to use the Los Angeles Dodgers’ highly criticized strategy of a massive free-agent contract with deferrals baked into it.
This past offseason was a very expensive one for the Dodgers. In an attempt to bring the franchise its first World Series title since 2020, the organization handed out over a billion dollars in contracts over the next decade to Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
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However, it was the deal with Ohtani that got a lot of blowback from the baseball world. Not because they gave him a record-shattering $700 million deal, but how the contract pays out. Instead of being on the books for a huge sum each season, the majority of the contract is filled with deferrals that begin in 2034. Over the next 10 years, the MVP candidate is only making just over $2 million per season.
It allowed LA to a few weeks later give Japanese countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto a $325 million contract. It drew the ire of many around MLB. However, it seems that the New York Yankees liked the idea and tried to mirror it with a different player.
Yankees rumor claims they also tried to hand out deferral-filled contract in the offseason
Heading into the offseason, the Yankees were not looking to add a huge amount of money to a sizable payroll. But they still needed to improve the roster. And former Yanks draft pick Jordan Montgomery was a top target after helping the Texas Rangers win the World Series.
Montgomery chose to go to the Arizona Diamondbacks (One year, $25 million) instead of returning to New York. However, this week New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed “Montgomery turned down a four-year deferred Yankees offer for $72M.”
Obviously, things worked out for New York because they are still a title contender in 2024 and Montgomery has had a very rough season in Arizona. But it is interesting that they also tried the much-maligned technique to improve the team now and worry about the cost later.
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