The New York Yankees are just four wins away from their first World Series appearance in 15 years, and a busy offseason is on tap immediately following the Fall Classic.
While the attention this winter will be soaked up by the Juan Soto sweepstakes, and rightfully so, the Yankees will need to add some depth elsewhere on the roster.
One player to potentially monitor is Japanese left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara of the Chunichi Dragons, who has requested to apply for the posting system.
While the Yankees weren't predicted to land the 26-year-old star, they were mentioned as potential players in the running for Ogasawara by Erik Beaston of Bleacher Report.
"The Dodgers and Yankees are always players, as are the Mets, but a team like Minnesota or St. Louis could benefit from having a young, electric arm in the rotation, too. The Giants would be an interesting fit, too, and may just be the team that comes through as the organization looks to make a splash and renew their fans' faith in the front office," Beaston wrote.
Ogasawara "has the raw tools and potential to be a starter at the MLB level," according to Beaston. The veteran lefty has pitched in the Nippon Professional Baseball league since 2016, posting a career 3.62 ERA and 2.45 K/BB ratio across 951.1 innings.
In 2024, Ogasawara went 5-11 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.2 WHIP across 144.1 innings. He's recorded at least 143 innings pitched in each of the last four seasons.
It will be interesting to see how the Yankees go about spending if they re-sign Soto to a mega deal and if Ogasawara does get posted, the Yankees appear to be a team to watch.
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