"There’s some similarities in how dedicated and disciplined they are" - Yoshinobu Yamamoto draws Gerrit Cole comparisons from Aaron Boone

In their latest attempt to woo Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees convened at an undisclosed location in New York with hopes of convincing the 25-year-old Japanese pitcher to ink a deal with them.

For the past three months, the Yankees have been the team fighting the hardest to appeal to Yamamoto. The media first began to link the Yankees to the three-time Japanese MVP after GM Brian Cashman flew to Japan to watch Yamamoto toss his second career NPB no-hitter in September.

In the latest meeting, senior team officials were present as Yamamoto once again heard the team's case. In attendance was Aaron Boone, who recorded his 500th career win as a manager this year. According to the skipper, Yoshinobu Yamamoto reminds him of one of his team's best arms.

“He’s been looking forward to this. He’s a guy that you can certainly see is very invested in his craft. There’s some similarities between him and Gerrit [Cole] in how dedicated and disciplined and all-in they are on pitching, baseball, their body and how to be successful. Different personalities, different people, but that obsession with their craft came across.”

According to Boone, Yamamoto bears similarity to Gerrit Cole, who is the highest-paid pitcher on the Yankees, pulling in some $36 million per annum. In 2023, Cole went 15-4, recording a league-best 2.63 ERA alongside a league-low WHIP of just 0.981, winning the first Cy Young Award of his career.

While Yamamoto has witnessed the most attention from the Yankees, they are far from the only team on his tail. After inking Shohei Ohtani, an increasing number of media sources have begun to link Yamamoto to the Los Angeles Dodgers as the team appears to strive for pitching supremacy.

As for the New York Yankees, big changes are underway. After the team traded for Juan Soto in early December, there seems to be no signs that Brian Cashman and the rest of the front office are slowing down. The aggressive strategy that continues to be applied in pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto is no better evidence of this.

Signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto is becoming an obsession for the Yankees

After narrowly avoiding their first last-place divisional finish in 33 years in 2023, GM Cashman and the entire organization know that 2024 must be better. Widely criticized for not doing enough during the regular season, Cashman is compensating this offseason. With the open season far from over, the $300 million offer on the table may yet need to be increased.