Yankees Have Green Light To Pursue Free Agency's Biggest Star

Now that Shohei Ohtani has refused his qualifying offer, the New York Yankees can pursue the slugger in free agency.
Yankees Have Green Light To Pursue Free Agency's Biggest Star
Yankees Have Green Light To Pursue Free Agency's Biggest Star /
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The New York Yankees love their stars, and the biggest one in free agency is now fully free to accept offers.

Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar who could be named American League MVP later this week, turned down the Los Angeles Angels’ one-year qualifying offer of $20.325 million on Tuesday, ensuring he’ll enter the market as the No. 1 free agent.

Now comes the fun part. Are the Yankees willing to spend the money — a contract that could be in excess of $500 million — to bring him to the Bronx?

Location appears to be less of an issue with Ohtani than previously thought.

On Monday, a report from CBS Sports said that Ohtani was less concerned about geography and more concerned about going to a team that can be competitive and give him a chance to go to the playoffs, something he has not done in his Major League career.

While the Yankees failed to reach the playoffs this year, the team can offer him a team with one of the best sluggers in the game in Aaron Judge and a potential Cy Young winner in Gerrit Cole. He’s up for the award this week.

Of course, Ohtani enters the market recovering from his torn UCL, which he suffered earlier this season and has had a procedure to correct it.

Ohtani and his representatives have made it clear that he intends to contribute only as a designated hitter in 2024 but will want to resume being a two-way player in 2025, once he is fully recovered from the UCL.

That means the Yankees would hopefully be getting the hitter and pitcher that made him a three-time All-Star, the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year and the 2021 AL MVP.

There is precedent for a quick recovery from UCL surgery to resume hitting.

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Bryce Harper had the same surgery in November of 2022 and made the fastest return from the surgery of any position player in MLB history, as he was back in the batter’s box in late May. He went on to win a Silver Slugger as a designated hitter.

Ohtani finished 2023 with a slash line of .304/.412/.654/1.066 with 44 home runs and 95 RBI, with his homers leading the American League. As a pitcher he went 10-5 with a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts and 55 walks.

It wasn’t a surprise that Ohtani turned down the offer. Only seven players received the qualifying offer this offseason, and only 13 of the 124 players that have received it since 2012 have accepted it. Most MLB teams make the move in order to receive draft pick compensation if the player signs elsewhere. 


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Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers the Texas Rangers for On SI and also writes about the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. He also covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com.