Around the Empire: Yankees news – 11/18/23

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Orix will post Yamamoto next week; Cole more than just a pitcher; Bauers a Brewer; pitch clock adjustment coming

By

Joshua Diemert
on November 18, 2023 12:00 am

MLBTR | Mark Polishuk: The Orix Buffaloes of NPB are expected to post star right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Monday, meaning MLB clubs will have 45 days from Tuesday to negotiate a deal with the pitcher. The Yankees are among the clubs most interested in Yamamoto, 25, and if they choose to open their pocketbooks in the offseason, Orix’s ace will likely sign the biggest first contract for any NPB alum. Orix will be entitled to a posting fee, meaning whichever successful signor will fork over a 20 percent fee on the first $25 million in guaranteed money, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million, and 15 percent on guaranteed money beyond that $50 million threshold.

New York Post | Greg Joyce (subscription required): Gerrit Cole took home the 2023 AL Cy Young Award, but his value to the Yankees goes beyond his stellar work on the mound. The undisputed leader of the pitching staff, Cole’s influence on young starters Clarke Schmidt and Michael King aided in both of their steps forward in 2023, and overall the ace of the staff has filled in as a semi-coach on his off days.

MLB.com: Ahead of yesterday’s non-tender deadline, GM Brian Cashman was able to deal away a potential NT candidate for a couple of toolsy lottery tickets. Jake Bauers, who had no role on the 2024 Yankees, was sent to the Brewers in exchange for outfielders Jace Avina and Brian Sánchez. Both were solid enough in 2023 and not yet needing to be on the 40-man roster, buying the Yankees time to see if they can get anything out of them.

In other non-tender news, the Yankees elected not to offer contracts to a trio of relievers: Albert Abreu, Lou Trivino, and Anthony Misiewicz. Check out Andrew’s post yesterday for more.

FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: MLB is reportedly considering a tweak to the pitch-clock rules, shaving two seconds off the counter when runners are on base. This coming after the perceived decrease in the game time won rave reviews, but game time did begin to creep back up as the season went on. Perhaps water will always find its level and there’s a limit on how much any intervention can change baseball’s nature.