"They will go back to being the Evil Empire” - MLB insider belives Yoshinobu Yamamoto's signing can establish Yankees as the dominant force in MLB

For the past three months, it has been all but assumed that Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a future New York Yankee. As the end of Yamamoto's posting period draws nearer, many are beginning to see how significant a move to bring Yamamoto to New York would be.

The 25-year-old has been pitching for the Orix Buffaloes of NPB since 2017. During that time frame, the right-hander has pitched to a 1.82 ERA, winning three MVP Awards, three NPB Triple Crowns, and the 2022 Japan Series. On November 20, he was posted, meaning he had 45 days to find a new MLB team.

In a recent piece for ESPN, analyst Buster Olney examined the implications of a deal between Yamamoto and the New York Yankees. According to Olney, the Yankees would return to their status as an elite ballclub if they were to indeed nail down Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Olney claimed:

"If the Yankees land Yamamoto, they will go back to being the Evil Empire, the wealthiest team armed with the two most expensive pitchers in Major League Baseball"

In addition to Yamamoto, Olney was making reference to 2023 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole. Despite the Yankees' soft showing last season, Cole dominated, going 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA across a league-leading 209 innings. Cole's $36 million salary in 2024 will make him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.

General Manager Brian Cashman has also moved to improve the team's hitting capacity. Earlier this month, Silver Slugger Juan Soto was acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres. The Dominican will join Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield, making the Yankees one of the top-hitting teams in the game.

"The Brian Cashman Redemption Tour won't allow Yoshinobu Yamamoto to sign anywhere but with the Yankees" - Mike Salvatore

Rumors of a Yoshinobu Yamamoto deal with the New York Yankees first began to intensify after Cashman went to Japan in September. The veteran GM was in attendance for Yamamoto's second career NPB no-hitter for the Buffaloes.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will not be a cheap buy for the Yankees

Expected to garner offers of up to $300 million, Yoshinobu's arm will be reserved for the league's richest teams. More still, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and a host of other teams reported to be interested, the Yankees know that number could be much higher.

That said, acquiring Yamamoto could bring the Yankees' rotation to the next level. Regardless of the costs, not capitalizing on this opportunity would be a shame from a Yankees point of view.