Yankees Reportedly Scouted Star Hurler; Could New York Nab Japanese Ace In Free Agency?

Should the Yankees consider signing the Japanese star?

Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees certainly are going to have a busy offseason.

New York entered the 2023 campaign with World Series aspirations and instead significantly more likely than not will miss the postseason. The Yankees currently are in last place in the American League East and are 10 games out of an American League Wild Card spot.

The Yankees likely will be extremely active in the offseason through free agency or trades and one player that could be an intriguing option is Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old is set to be posted this offseason and New York reportedly recently scouted the ace, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman. 

"The Yankees, (New York Mets), (Boston Red Sox) and Cardinals were among at least 10 teams to scout Orix Buffaloes right-handed star Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s start Wednesday, and he impressed over seven scoreless innings with poise, focus and athleticism, and also with several solid-to-plus pitches — including a four-seamer up to 97 mph, cutter, curveball and splitter," Heyman said. "Also there to see the two-time MVP who’s expected to be posted were the (Chicago Cubs), (Los Angeles Dodgers), (Arizona Diamondbacks), (Philadelphia Phillies), (Texas Rangers), and (Detroit Tigers)."

Yamamoto would be a major lift for the Yankees if New York was able to get a deal done this upcoming offseason. The 25-year-old will be one of the best pitchers available in free agency and immediately could give the Yankees' rotation a much-needed boost. Plus, a pairing with star hurler Gerrit Cole would be a scary sight for opposing teams. 

There's still time left this season, but Yankees fans already should be keeping a close eye on Yamamoto.