Jiji Press
The last player the New York Yankees signed from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan was starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka in 2014, over 10 years ago.
That’s not to say that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has not attempted to land another superstar from Japan since then. New York reportedly offered contracts to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki before they signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On the offensive side of the ball, it’s been a while since Hideki Matsui wore the pinstripes and became the best Japanese player in franchise history.
This offseason, there are two NPB hitters to keep an eye on: Third/first baseman Munetaka Murakami and third baseman Kazuma Okamoto.
Brendan Kuty of The Athletic does not see Murakami or Okamoto as a fit with the Yankees, despite their superstar status in NPB, citing the questions the club faces at the corner infield spots.
“While Murakami packs prodigious power, he’s a left-handed hitter with swing-and-miss concerns and poor defensive skills at first base,” Kuty wrote about NPB’s all-time single-season home run leader by a Japanese-born player. “Cashman said he views Ben Rice as an everyday player next year, most likely at first. Rice, 26, put up a 131 OPS+ last season, and though he needs to work on his defense, he’ll be on a rookie contract, helping the Yankees keep costs down at a key position.”
Okamoto has a better contact rate than Murakami, but the Yankees might not be willing to offer a long enough contract for the Scott Boras client. Kuty added that the AL East club might look for a “cheaper, shorter-term commitment” to pair with Rice at first base or Ryan McMahon at third.
Cashman and the Yankees might have to wait another year to find a power bat from NPB. Still, they are reportedly interested in the Saitama Seibu Lions starting pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
Conor Liguori is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He grew up in Westchester County, New York, and enjoys watching basketball and hockey in his free time. Conor has covered professional baseball leagues like the KBO, NPB, CPBL and LBPRC in Puerto Rico. His work has been featured on Athlon, Heavy and other outlets.