“He has never thrown a pitch in MLB" - Former Yankees star Mike Stanton on why club didn't match Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto bid

In a recent episode of the "Bleav in The Bronx" podcast, former Yankees reliever Mike Stanton shared his thoughts on the Yankees’ approach to the Yamamoto sweepstakes.

After acquiring Juan Soto, it seemed like the New York Yankees were prepared to do whatever it takes to sign coveted Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

However, it seems like there was a number they weren’t willing to cross. The Yankees ultimately offered $300 million to Yamamoto, which fell short of both the Dodgers and Mets’ $325 million offer.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto chose the Dodgers, in what was Major League Baseball’s largest contract ever for a pitcher. Staggering numbers indeed, especially for a player who has never thrown a single pitch in MLB.

Yamamoto was expected to land a lucrative contract regardless, but very few could have envisioned the final amount he eventually signed for.

Stanton explained why the Yankees weren’t willing to go past the $300 million mark, saying:

“He has never thrown a pitch in Major League Baseball, and you just paid him more for Gerrit Cole. I think that was the hangup for the Yankees; they paid Cole $324 million, and it took $325 million for Yamamoto to sign with the Dodgers.

“From what you have told me, Cashman and the Yankees didn’t want to go over that Gerrit Cole number, and you have to remember Cole is a Cy Young award winner.”

Stanton even went on to mention Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s height, mentioning how MLB ace pitchers generally bear a height of at least 6 feet while Yamamoto is only 5'10''. He added:

“You’re not talking about a big guy. How many pitchers do we have in MLB who are true top of the rotation, true league ace under 6 feet? I don’t know if there’s many of them.”

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Was skipping on Yoshinobu Yamamoto the right move for the Yankees?

Adding Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the Yankees rotation would’ve made him the fourth player on the team with a $300+ million contract. He would have joined the likes of Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, whiich would have been a financial burden on the Yankees’ payroll.

Secondly, for all his achievements, $325 million is a big gamble for any club to make on a player who hasn’t pitched in MLB. When you consider Yamamoto and what he has achieved by the age of 25, that gamble seems justified, and it may very well pay off.

For the Yankees, they clearly value Gerrit Cole more than Yoshinobu Yamamoto. So they can turn to other currently available names, like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, to bolster their ranks and build a rotation with Cole as their true, undisputed ace.