The New YORK Yankees are seen as one of the favorites to land Japanese superstar RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but what direction does the team go if they cannot land him? With the recent reports today, most notable being that the SF Giants are seen as serious contenders for the right-hander, and that they may have an edge in negotiations for him. Mike Puma of the New York Post says that he will travel to the US to meet with teams around next week.
Who should the Yankees turn to if Yamamoto doesn’t decide to wear Pinstripes?
1. LHP Shota Imanaga
The Yankees should turn to Shota Imanaga if they cannot land Yamamoto. In Japan, he put together a very nice career from 2016-2023. In eight seasons, Imanaga went 74-55 with a 2.96 ERA, racking up 1,183 strikeouts across those eight seasons. Imanaga would be a very nice add to a rotation that is looking for a big add.
2. LHP Jordan Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery is certainly no stranger to the Bronx. Monty started off his career in Pinstripes before being shipped off to the St. Louis Cardinals. Montgomery went 20-20 with a 4.48 ERA in his Yankee career, and after he got traded he went 10-11 with a 3.10 ERA in 1 and 1/2 seasons with the Cards and Rangers. Drastic improvement, probably due to the increase he saw in run support after the trade. Montgomery is certainly someone the Yankees should look at.
3. RHP Frankie Montas
Frankie Montas is also familiar with the Bronx, as he was dealt to the Yanks during the 2022 Trade Deadline. Frankie dealt with some injuries throughout his time in the Bronx, as he missed most of the 2023 season with a shoulder injury. Montas has very high upside though. He was a Cy Young contender in 2021, and he was the Athletics’ ace before being dealt.
It’ll be very interesting to see who the Yankees get to fill in their rotation gap.
BS Reports 
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