What’s next for Yankees and their starting rotation without Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

Now what?

That’s surely what the New York Yankees were asking themselves after learning they weren’t the highest bidder (or even the second-highest) in the sweepstakes for Japanese star right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who agreed to a record-breaking 12-year, $325-million contract from the Los Angeles Dodgers, The Athletic confirmed. The deal was first reported by YES Network’s Jack Curry. The New York Mets also offered the 25-year-old just as much money, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon, and the Yankees’ bid was at $300 million, according to a leauge source.

Yamamoto’s total salary, which included a $50-million signing bonus and no deferrals, set a new record for the most money given to a starting pitcher. It bested the previous high of $324 million, which the Yankees gave ace Gerrit Cole for nine years.

On Thursday, manager Aaron Boone said that the Yankees hoped they were able to sell themselves to Yamamoto in their two meetings with him through their rich history and their experience with Japanese stars such as Ichiro Suzuki and Masahiro Tanaka. They played a recorded video from Hideki Matsui, and gave Yamamoto his own No. 18 Yankees jersey.

Turns out, it’ll probably end up in the back of a closet in Yamamoto’s future L.A. mansion.

So, where do the Yankees go from here?

Thinking about the boos Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going to get when the Dodgers arrive at Yankee Stadium from June 7 to June 9.
— Brendan Kuty 🧟‍♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) December 22, 2023

They’ll need another starting pitcher

Here’s how the Yankees’ current rotation shakes out:

1. Gerrit Cole, RHP
2. Carlos Rodón, LHP
3. Nestor Cortes, LHP
4. Clarke Schmidt, RHP
5. [insert shrug emoji here]

Aside from Cole, the rest of the team’s starters have worrisome recent injury histories. Rodón (forearm, back, hamstring) made just 14 starts with a 6.85 ERA last year. Cortes (groin, shoulder) made only 12 starts with a 4.97 ERA. Schmidt made 32 starts, but pitched to a 4.64 ERA, and his 159 innings last year far surpassed the previous career high of 111 1/3 innings he set in 2016 as a 20-year-old at South Carolina.

A reunion with righty Frankie Montas would likely be one moderate-cost option the Yankees could pursue. At the end of the regular season, Montas told reporters he hoped to return. Boone has said that Montas “ingratiated himself” at the team’s player development complex and showed “leadership” as he spent the season rehabbing from right shoulder surgery.

Lefty free agents Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, would also seem like potential options. The Yankees have at least internally discussed the possibility of a reunion with Montgomery, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. They haven’t, however, been much linked to Snell, though his candidacy likely can’t be counted out. Snell has long been friends with captain Aaron Judge.

On the trade front, the Yankees could turn toward the Milwaukee Brewers, who may consider flipping righty ace Corbin Burnes. Burnes, 29, will be a free agent after next season and he’s set to make approximately $15 million via his final year of arbitration in 2024, according to MLB Trade Rumors. But Rosenthal writes that it’s unclear how willing the Brewers would be to move Burnes, who had a 3.39 ERA in 32 stars last year and finished eighth in the NL Cy Young vote.

Righty Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox may be another option. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported that the White Sox in early December may have begun pulling back on trade talks for Cease, who has tons of talent but had a down 2023 (7-9 record and a 4.58 ERA in 33 starts). He finished second in the AL Cy Young race in 2022 with a 14-8 mark and 2.20 ERA in 32 starts.

But the Yankees unloaded a lot of pitching depth in their trades for Juan Soto (Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Randy Vásquez, Jhony Brito) and Alex Verdugo (Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert). It’s highly unlikely they would be willing to trade some of their upper-level position player talent, such as Jasson Domínguez or Anthony Volpe, considering their reluctance to include them in a deal for Soto.

Internal starter options

On Thursday, Boone said the Yankees were expecting to lean on prospects Will Warren, Luis Gil and Chase Hampton to fill in for all the arms they lost in trades.

Warren had a 3.60 ERA in 21 games (19 starts) at Triple A last year and may be the closest to major-league-ready. Gil made his big-league debut in 2021 and pitched again in the majors in 2022, but missed all last season due to Tommy John surgery. Hampton, meanwhile, hasn’t pitched above Double A.

“There’s a lot of guys we feel like are pushing up to that next level but will hopefully be important depth pieces for us this year,” Boone said.

What about the bullpen?

The Yankees’ relief unit also has some questions. Locks include Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga, Tommy Kahnle, Ian Hamilton and Scott Effross, who didn’t pitch last year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. They could look to beef up a couple more spots while holding a last-man-in-the-bullpen job for someone with options, such as Nick Ramirez and Ron Marinaccio. Victor González, a lefty acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, is out of options.

The Yankees have reportedly been interested in a reunion with lefty free agent Wandy Peralta. Righty Danny Watson, who reached Double A and had an 11.78 K/9 last year, seems like he could have an outside shot at a role. The Yankees also signed righty Nick Burdi to a minor-league deal on Thursday, according to YES Network’s Jack Curry. Burdi has an extensive injury history but touches triple digits and has all three of his options remaining.

As Rosenthal has also pointed out, the three top relievers on The Athletic’s list of the top 40 free agents — Josh Hader (No. 10), Jordan Hicks (No. 23) and Robert Stephenson (No. 29) — remain unsigned. The Yankees have shown interest in Hicks, as we’ve previously reported.

Trade chips?

While second baseman Gleyber Torres has been a name frequently floated in trade rumors in recent years, Cashman said that the team had “second base covered.” That seemed to imply that the team didn’t anticipate trading Torres, whom MLB Trade Rumors predicts will make $15.3 million next season before he becomes a free agent. Torres was the Yankees’ second-most reliable hitter last year, posting a 118 OPS+ over 158 games.

It’s not out of the question that the Yankees could look to flip Verdugo if it meant adding a starting pitcher, though the team formally introduced him via video conference call with reporters on Friday. Verdugo will be a free agent after next season and could help a team looking for a high-contact, lefty outfield bat. But if the Yankees traded Verdugo, they would once again be left without a projected starting left fielder.

Outfielder Everson Pereira, who ranked at No. 51 on The Athletic’s top 60 prospects midseason update last year, would appear expendable considering the presence of Soto and Verdugo. The Yankees also have five catchers on their 40-man roster with Jose Trevino and Austin Wells seemingly poised to go into the year as the big-league tandem.

(Top photo of Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)