Gerrit Coles Lucrative Deal Impacts Yankees Opportunity To Sign YoshinobuYamamoto

There are always secrets behind every big story, which makes the impact stronger upon revelation. MLB is going through a period of signings and is experiencing the same with the New York Yankees on the center stage again. The reason is their failed pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whom they chased for months. While some thought it was Yamamoto’s choice, it seems that Gerrit Cole could be the main reason behind the Yankees’ third-place finish.

It was a poor season for the Bronx, who failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 7 years. Given the Yankees have not won the championship since 2009, it was a big jolt. With the motive of the best for the future in mind, they move into the market for stars who can light their path to lost glory. For that, after Juan Soto, they wanted the 25-year-old skilled pitcher. However, their respect for the 2023 Cy Young Award winner’s elusive contract became the roadblock in this pursuit.

New York Yankees’ Loyalty to Gerrit Cole Became the Reason Behind Them Losing Yoshinobu Yamamoto

It was all done until conflicts outshone the Bronx’s glory. The New York Yankees were among the favorites to land Yamamoto after several meetings brought the two together. However, that all changed with a sudden announcement of the Los Angeles Dodgers win. Further, the reports that the Yankees did not even match the offer to fight added more to the situation with no answer to what exactly happened.

Yankees decided not to match Dodgers winning $325M bid to Yamamoto because: 1) they thought $300M was right offer, 2) they didn’t believe anyone should have a bigger deal than Gerrit Cole. NYY offered optout after 5 yrs but not a $50M signing bonus. Highly unlikely it mattered.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 23, 2023

However, the confusion is now over. According to Jon Heyman, the Yankees never matched the winning bid of $325 million because they considered Cole worthy of the biggest contract. This made them limit the bid to $300 million, $24 million less than the ace they signed in 2019. However, it did not go well and the Yanks lost an opportunity to strengthen their mound for the upcoming season.

A Failed Opportunity: Yankees’ Rigidity Becomes the Problem Again

Notably, it was not the first time the former champions had to lose their grip this season. It was visible in their pursuit of Soto, where they gave in to the demands after stalled talks. However, given the three-sided battle, that approach did not work here. Once broken, there was no way for a return, as the $25 million became the reason for the Yankees losing on a strong defensive front.

New York Yankees’ Path Forward After Getting Rejected by Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Given the Yankees wanted a strong rotation, Yamamoto was a perfect match. Coming with a win-loss record of 17-6, the winner of three consecutive Sawamura Awards (Japan’s version of Cy Young) would have supported Cole on the mound. But this is not happening anymore, and the Yankees will have to find options that can impact the game. Will they be able to overcome this lost opportunity?

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