While it may take two to tango, the New York Yankees wisely avoided making a huge mistake by signing superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking contract.
The Yankees had no chance because Ohtani wanted to stay on the West Coast, and the Los Angeles Dodgers always had the upper hand. However, this could have worked out perfectly for the Bombers, who will be able to spend money on Juan Soto in order to extend his contract beyond the 2024 season and make an aggressive move for Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Yankees Are Seeking Youth
Of course, Ohtani is an international superstar, and the Yankees could have used his elite bat in the lineup, but Soto will do just fine. At 25 years old, the Dominican Republic native is already on track for a Hall of Fame career and will be paid approximately $30 million in his final year of arbitration.
Soto might get a deal worth more than $400 million next year, but it won’t be anything like what Ohtani just got on the market. He signed a 10-year, $700 million contract worth $70 million per season. While Ohtani is attempting to defer money in order to give the Dodgers more salary flexibility, he will receive every penny he landed on the market and the Dodgers will be able to spread their funds more evenly.
A contract of that size is always risky, especially given that Ohtani recently had Tommy John surgery and will be unable to pitch in 2024. There’s no guarantee he’ll be able to replicate his past success, but given his work ethic and dominance, he’ll be a dominant player for a long time.
Fortunately, the Yankees are looking for younger and more durable players, which is why Soto was such a good fit. Yamamoto will have suitors, most notably the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets, but the Yankees are willing to spend, and the Japanese international star is also 25 and has pitched at least 170 innings for three years in a row.
Things should heat up on the Yamamoto front in the coming days as he begins to meet with his team in the United States.
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