New York is no longer a destination for Japanese stars, while Brian Cashman signs a former Red Sox fan favorite and Gerrit Cole prepares for a bounce-back year.
The New York Yankees’ sleepy month of January took another hit on Monday, when they were one of several teams to be informed that they were no longer in the running to sign Japanese ace Roki Sasaki. New York’s starting rotation is still in fine shape, with two aces at the top in Max Fried and Gerrit Cole to supplement Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. But this team needs as much talent as it can get its hands on to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets in the National League, and Sasaki would’ve raised the ceiling considerably without breaking the bank.
Now, Brian Cashman will have to move on to other matters as he continues to supplement a roster that will look a whole lot different than it did last Opening Day. Here’s everything to know from around the Yankees universe.
 Roki Sasaki whiff suggests New York no longer a destination for Japanese stars
It wasn’t all that long ago that New York was the go-to destination for Japanese stars looking to make the jump to the Majors, from Hideki Irabu and Hideki Matsui to Kei Igawa, Hiroki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka. But since Tanaka came to the Bronx in 2014, the Yankees haven’t been able to land a Japanese player of any significance, a trend that continued when the team wasn’t even able to make Sasaki’s final three.
It’s easy to look back at the initial Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes as something of a paradigm shift. New York’s presence across the Pacific was so significant that the Yankees were considered prohibitive favorites for Ohtani in the winter of 2017. But the two-way phenom chose the Los Angeles Angels instead, and by the time he hit free agency last winter, he wasn’t even willing to grant the Yankees a meeting. (New York was in the running for Yoshinobu Yamamoto but fell short there, too.)
It’s tough to identify any one reason for this troubling trend. But it’s clear that, in an increasingly global world, the allure of playing in pinstripes simply isn’t as big as it once was. Players can get endorsement dollars just about anywhere, and Japanese media will follow them wherever they land. Stars like Sasaki seem to prioritize the convenience of being closer to home
Former Met, Red Sox first baseman Dom Smith signs Minor League deal
It may not be the transaction fans were hoping for, but Cashman did add an infielder to the organization on Monday, agreeing to terms on a Minor League deal with first baseman Dom Smith. A first-round pick of the Mets way back in 2013, Smith never lived up to lofty expectations in Queens, posting a .733 OPS (99 OPS+) over parts of six seasons with the team. He’s bounced around since then, splitting 2024 between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox.
Smith became an unlikely fan favorite in Boston last season, filling in for the injured Triston Casas and delivering a surprising number of clutch moments. He hit .237/.317/.390 (93 OPS+) over 84 games in a Red Sox uniform, with six homers and 20 doubles. The Yankees likely don’t envision the lefty slugger as much more than Triple-A depth, although given Paul Goldschmidt’s advanced age, having an experienced backup plan can’t hurt.
