"Soto is so gone next year" "So cheap" - Yankees fans frustrated as team reportedly valued Yoshinobu Yamamoto's contract lower than Gerrit Cole's

News broke earlier this week that the Yankees had lost out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a deal topping Gerrit Cole's $324 million deal. Yamamoto is now the highest-paid pitcher in the league.

It has been reported that the Bronx Bombers were unwilling to match the Dodgers' $325 million offer. They did not believe that any pitcher should be paid higher than Cole.

In 2019, Gerrit Cole signed a nine-year, $324 million contract, which made him the highest-paid pitcher until this week. He has been the ace for the Yanks since and is coming off a Cy Young season.

While Yamamoto would have been a great addition to a rotation looking for some help, they will have to look elsewhere. Luckily, there are tons of quality starters on the open market.

"Juan Soto is so gone next year," one fan posted.

"They are so cheap," another fan posted.

Yankees fans are unhappy that their team was unwilling to match the Dodgers' offer for Yamamoto. Now, he signed with a juggernaut who could rule the league for years to come.

Fans see this as a big failure from the front office. Yamamoto would have been electric in the Bronx, and it would have fixed the hole in their rotation.

Gerrit Cole cannot be the only consistent arm for the Yankees in 2024

New York Yankees v Los Angeles Dodgers

During a lackluster year, Gerrit Cole was one of the few bright spots for the Yankees last season. They missed the postseason for the first time since the 2016 season and have injuries and underperforming players to thank for it.

When last season began, Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino were placed on the injured list. It took a while for both of them to get off, and neither was all that impressive after getting healthy. Rodon started 14 games, compiling a rough 3-8 record with a 6.85 ERA. Severino finished the season with a 4-8 record and a 6.65 ERA.

Comparing those performances to that of Cole's could be hard to stomach. Cole started 33 games, compiling a 15-4 record with a 2.63 ERA and a career-high 209 innings pitched.

If the Yanks want to come out swinging during the 2024 season, Cole will need some help. He cannot be the only consistent pitcher in the rotation. Pitchers like Rodon, Nestor Cortes Jr., and Clarke Schmidt must be dependable.