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The New York Yankees missed out on star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the winter of 2024 but will be even more aggressive in their pursuit of another Japanese flamethrower next offseason.

MLB Trade Rumors’ Nick Deeds had this to say about the Yankees’ plans to go after righty Roki Sasaki (h/t Patrick McAvoy of Fan Nation’s Inside the Pinstripes):

“After all, teams would enjoy a much more even financial playing field in bidding for his services this winter than one would typically associate with a free agent of his caliber thanks to the aforementioned spending restrictions regarding players posted before the age of 25. The Dodgers are joined by the Yankees, (New York Mets), (St. Louis Cardinals), and (Texas Rangers) among teams that have reportedly already begun to scout Sasaki’s NPB starts this season,” Deeds wrote.

In eight games played in the NPB in 2024, Sasaki owns a 4-2 record with a pristine 2.18 ERA and 61 strikeouts. Through his first four professional seasons in Japan, the 22-year-old has shown strong command on the mound with a show-worthy 0.856 WHIP and is projected to have superstar potential in the Major Leagues.