The New York Yankees were outbid by the Los Angeles Dodgers in their pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as they refused to go above $300 for the Japanese ace. There was slightly more at play than simply the financial figure, however.
The Yankees felt that $300 million was a fair offer and did not want to go above it , as we were already aware. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, though, the club also did not want to hand out a larger deal than the nine-year, $324 million contract they gave Gerrit Cole prior to the 2020 season.
This may be a matter of respect for Cole or even a reluctance to reset the market, as Cole’s deal was the previous record for a pitcher. Cole has the right to opt out of the contract after the 2024 season, so if the former was their concern, they easily could have rectified that a year from now.
Ultimately, the Dodgers were willing to pay the extra $25 million. The Yankees absolutely could have done the same, but did not. Time will tell if they wind up regretting that, because they certainly could have used another elite pitcher.
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