Former Yankee Explains Why New York Passed on Yamamoto

The Yankees passed on Yamamoto, and Stanton discusses the circumstances.

Former Yankee Mike Stanton and USA Today reporter Pete Caldera explored why New York did not offer Yoshinobu Yamamoto as much as the Dodgers on a recent episode of the Bleav in The Bronx Podcast.

According to reports, the Yankees only offered $300 million to the Japanese great, while the Dodgers and Mets offered $325 million. Stanton discussed why his previous team did not match the other offers.

“He’s never pitched in Major League Baseball, and you just paid him more for Gerrit Cole.” “I believe that was the stumbling block for the Yankees; they paid Cole 324 and Yamamoto 325 to sign with the Dodgers,” Stanton explained. “From what you have told me, Cashman and the Yankees didn’t want to go over 300 or over that Gerrit Cole number, and you have to remember Cole is a Cy Young award winner.”

Stanton also emphasized Yamamoto’s height of 5’10”; often, elite pitchers are taller than 6 feet.