Yankees Have 'Quiet Confidence' They Will Land Superstar Pitcher This Offseason

New York reportedly believes it has a strong chance of landing the young superstar

What's next for the New York Yankees?

New York already has made the most significant move of the offseason by landing superstar slugger Juan Soto, but how will the club follow up the move? The Yankees have been in talks with Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto about a possible deal and now are waiting for his decision. 

Landing Yamamoto would be the perfect follow-up move for the Yankees and immediately would cement the club as one of the World Series favorites in 2024. New York does have intense competition for his services, though. The New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox remain heavily involved in the Yamamoto sweepstakes so there is no way to know if the Yankees will get their man.

While this is the case, New York does have a "quiet confidence" that it will ultimately land Yamamoto in free agency, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

"Yamamoto, a superstar in Nippon Professional Baseball, has made a strong impression in his meetings with MLB teams," Olney said. "'This is a guy who is all about winning,' one front office type said. 'He is all about greatness. He wants to be great and he wants to be a part of something great.'

"There is quiet confidence in the Yankees' organization that they have a real shot. There is a belief in the (New York Mets') organization that in the end, (Steve Cohen) will make the most significant offer. There is wariness, in both organizations, about the power of the (Los Angeles Dodgers)."

Yamamoto has been meeting with clubs over the last week or two and now it's a waiting game. There have been conflicting rumors that he could make his choice this week or he could wait all the way until the new year to decide. 

No one seems to know for sure what the young star is thinking but it sounds like the Yankees believe they have a strong chance of signing him, at least.