NEW YORK — If there was any remaining query about how strongly Yoshinobu Yamamoto desired the problem of a giant highlight, it was answered for supervisor Aaron Boone early of their first assembly, when the standout right-hander requested for a scouting report on the Yankees’ most formidable rivals.
“We talked about some totally different rivalries, what the stadium is like in a playoff setting or for giant regular-season video games towards the Crimson Sox,” Boone stated on Thursday. “We open the common season in Houston. So we talked about these issues. You could possibly see these competitors issues form of gentle him up slightly bit.”
Not sufficient to sway his choice, apparently. Yamamoto agreed to a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers late on Thursday night, opting to hitch Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles. The Yankees reportedly bid $300 million for Yamamoto; the Dodgers matched a suggestion made by the Mets. The Blue Jays, Giants, Phillies and Crimson Sox additionally had curiosity.
So concludes a saga that takes the Yanks’ high pitching goal off the board, a participant whom the group had scouted in particular person for greater than a yr, together with a September no-hitter for the Orix Buffaloes that was pitched with basic supervisor Brian Cashman applauding from the entrance row.
Although Yanks executives felt good about their possibilities of touchdown Yamamoto, they’ve been contemplating Plan Bs. Their consideration now may flip to reunions with Jordan Montgomery or Frankie Montas, a commerce for the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes, or a run at Japanese import Shota Imanaga.
Yamamoto and his agent, Joel Wolfe, met with a Yankees contingent that included Boone, managing basic accomplice Hal Steinbrenner, crew president Randy Levine, basic supervisor Brian Cashman and pitching coach Matt Blake on Dec. 11 at a mansion within the Hollywood Hills.
They met once more on Sunday in Manhattan, in line with Boone, who was within the Bronx on Thursday to take part in a pop-up vacation occasion distributing meals and toys with the NYPD’s forty fourth Precinct and the Meals Financial institution for New York Metropolis.
“He’s a particular dude,” Boone stated of Yamamoto. “There’s some presence to him; snug in his pores and skin and assured, however a humility to him. It’s simply been good to get to know him in much less formal environments, the place you’ll be able to form of let your arms drop and simply have actual conversations. It’s been enjoyable to do this.”
Boone stated that the Yankees included Hideki Matsui, a particular advisor to Cashman, as a part of their pitch. Matsui didn’t attend in particular person, however he recorded a video message for Yamamoto and despatched an autographed jersey.
The Yankees additionally offered Yamamoto with a pinstriped No. 18 jersey, which is his most well-liked quantity.
“I gave him that jersey. It’s his if he needs to maintain it,” Boone stated.
Sadly for the Yankees, he’ll be carrying one thing else. Boone stated that his predominant takeaway from the conferences with Yamamoto was that “he needs to be nice.”
“He’s been wanting ahead to this,” Boone stated. “He’s a man which you could definitely see may be very invested in his craft. There’s some similarities between him and Gerrit [Cole] in how devoted and disciplined and all-in they’re on pitching, baseball, their physique and the way to achieve success. Totally different personalities, totally different folks, however that obsession with their craft got here throughout.”
They’ll have an opportunity to see these abilities from the opposite facet quickly. Yamamoto, Ohtani and the Dodgers are scheduled to go to Yankee Stadium for a three-game collection from June 7-9.
