Yashinobu Yamamoto’s free agency is more interesting because there are far fewer dribblers – Gudstory

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s sweepstakes are infinitely more interesting and illuminating than Shohei Ohtani’s free agency for many reasons: people have been allowed to report on them, there seem to be more suitors than just the Dodgers and a couple based in baseball’s last few rabid markets in America.

While I completely agree that we don’t need to obsess over the AL and NL East, it’s a lot more fun when they’re involved. (And no, Toronto doesn’t count.) The Yankees, Mets, Red Sox and Phillies have all featured in documented rumors of the Japanese ace.

The spending hierarchy in the Northeast has changed in the last decade, with the Mets, Phillies and sometimes the Red Sox willing to spend the same amount, if not more, than the Evil Empire. The results weren’t quite the same for the Mets or Phillies, and Boston’s success was intermittent, but with the Yankees mired in a World Series drought, there was no actual superpower on the East Coast.

Whoever lands Yamamoto, if he doesn’t go to the Dodgers, will snatch the bat-shaped scepter from Steve Cohen’s hands — unless the Mets prevail. After that, it’s just more of the same, and we can expect Yamamoto to be traded to the Dodgers when they hit the All-Star break.

Philadelphia is an interesting team because recently they have been the most successful team in the playoffs, and I include the Dodgers. The Phils were coming off back-to-back World Series appearances in October and backed a lineup that showed a knack for shining when few can.

Entering the trio of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Yamamoto in any seven-game series would give Rob Thompson a lot of flexibility and insurance should Nola’s inconsistent regular season continue into the playoffs. It would also be another major coup in a string of them for Philly that has led to big signings of Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.

In years past, the Yankees’ cachet and pocketbook were more than enough to attract coveted stars like Harper and Turner. Don’t kid yourself, on MLB’s list of expensive rosters, Pinstripes are still in the top three. The return on investment may not be what it used to be, but that’s even more true for Brian Cashman.

It’s hysterical to watch the Yankees’ beleaguered general manager play negotiator, with fans yelling at him to spend money Steinbrenner doesn’t want, and agents using that leverage to force them to overpay. Not to mention, the ace who was acquired by New York for $162 million last season had the worst year of his career in 2023, no Yankee outside of Garrett Cole has been consistent or truly healthy in five years, and ownership is unreasonably patient. Unusual (apathetic) with both general manager and manager Aaron Boone, he moved to the Bronx, Yoshi. I heard it’s Yankee Stadium. . . Baseball Stadium.

If the Sox nab Yamamoto, it would be a signal to their fan base that ownership is starting to feel playful again, and that Boston’s influence is just as enticing as New York’s when they choose to throw money. The Red Sox and Yankees were bad by their standards last season, yet that was still good enough to hover around .500.

While there are areas that need to be addressed in addition to starting pitching, Yamamoto’s signing is more about maintaining the look of a Middle East powerhouse turned cellar-dweller.

Let’s say the last five or six paragraphs are all for nothing, and the Dodgers sign Yamamoto to create a Japanese superteam. This would, and perhaps should, lead to an existential crisis in MLB. This is about more than Los Angeles deferring $680 million of Ohtani’s $700 million deal, or the Dodgers dropping money like they’re Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. a lot of The teams’ local television contracts are on shaky groundthe league is declining in popularity, Rob Manfred doesn’t know the meaning of “marketing” and the biggest brands in sports can’t get the biggest free agents to return their calls.

So, yeah, no pressure, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.