Dodgers Go All In With Free Agency

 Hello MLB fans! Get ready for another exciting edition of the Buckley Sports Report! I will dive into some of the recent MLB free agency moves, specifically Shoei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Coming into this off season, the most coveted prize that MLB teams longed for were the two Japanese studs, Ohtani and Yamamoto.

Shohei entered the free agent market at the end of the 2023 season, after spending his MLB career with the unsuccessful Angels.  He is the first MLB player to not only hit with power, but also pitch at a CY Young caliber since Babe Ruth.  Ohtani delivered 44 HRs while sporting both a .304 batting average and a 3.14 ERA over the course of 2023.  That stat line earned him the AL MVP, as well as the largest contract in MLB history.  The deal struck with the Dodgers was 10 years $700 million, but Shohei included an interesting request when the contract was constructed.  The young pitcher/hitter offered to be paid only 2 million per year with the remaining 680 million deferred until his contract expires.  This allows to Dodgers to have more wiggle room in the budget for other big name players.  

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, not like Yoshi in Super Mario, entered the MLB free agency as the leading pitcher in the NPB.  He has dominated Japanese professional baseball for years as the top rated pitcher, and friend of Shohei Ohtani.  Yamamoto decided to take his talents across the Pacific and toe the slab in the US.  His 2023 season made peoples eyes pop as he shoved for a 1.16 ERA and a .860 WHIP.  These impressive stats led big market MLB teams to begin scouting him during the past season.  The Giants, Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers led the bidding as the most aggressive and wealthiest teams in the league.  With the money saved on the Ohtani contract, the Dodgers were able to land Yamamoto.  The contract sits at $325 million over 12 years for the 25 year old Japanese star.  

After losing out on both Ohtani and Yamamoto, the Mets are going to stick with what they have and save money to resign Pete Alonso.  As for the Yankees, the acquisition of Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo fills the outfield gaps for at least one year.  They are now turning their attention to either Bake Snell or former Yankee Jordan Montgomery. 

We will have to see what the future holds for both local baseball teams.  That's all for now, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.  Enjoy your families! HO HO HO!

YANKEES LAND A BIG FISH WITH SOTO

 Hello NY Yankee fans! Merry Early Christmas to all baseball fans out there. 

Brian Cashman finally swung for the fences by landing one of the most impactful players in the league.

The young stud Juan Soto has been tearing up the MLB over the past few years in Washington and San Diego. Now he will be bringing his power bat to the Bronx in hopes of making the Yankees a serious contender again. The Yankees had to part ways with a number of players of varying experience to acquire Soto. The deal included seasoned catcher Kyle Higashioka, part time starters King, Vasquez and Brito, as well as a number of minor league figures. 

Prior to the San Diego trade, the Yankees traded minor league hopefuls for Alex Verdugo. The trade marked the eighth time in which the Yankees and Red Sox have made a trade. He is coming off a sub-par year compared to his previous performances. Verdugo hit .264 with 13 HRs last year for the lackluster AL East rival. The Yankees desperately needed a strong defensive left fielder after their years of inconsistency since the departure of veteran Brett Gardner. 

Brian Cashman is still looking to beef up the pitching rotation by appealing to the Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto. As the number one pitching prospect in all of Japan, he is searching for a paycheck on this side of the Pacific. His reputation and skill set have already started a competition between large market organizations such as the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets. These three teams have history with Japanese players and the cities have strong Japanese cultural presence. The Yankees hope to leverage Yamamoto by including Matsui and Tanaka in contract discussions. This could tip the scale in the Yankees favor, but money talks. High end owner Steve Cohen is poised to outbid every team in the league due to the Mets wealth. 

The Yamamoto signing could take days, weeks, or months. The waiting game is officially on. Have a very happy and healthy holiday season. MERY CHRISTMAS AND GO YANKEES