In the winter of 2017, the New York Yankees went all out in pursuit of Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese phenomenon who was already attracting worldwide admiration. However, the excitement was short-lived: his representation informed the team that it would not even consider a proposal. For a franchise accustomed to attracting baseball’s biggest stars, it was an unexpected blow.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recalled that episode with frustration. “I felt our presentation was excellent, but I can’t change that we’re a big market and we’re on the East Coast,” he explained at the time. Geography, according to Cashman, played a decisive role in Ohtani’s rejection, as he ultimately chose the West Coast.
A glorious past with Japanese stars
The paradox is that there was a time when location was not an obstacle for Japanese figures. The Yankees were a dream destination for players such as Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka, symbols of success and professionalism. Even pitchers such as Hiroki Kuroda found their place in the Bronx, proving that New York could be the ideal home for Japanese talent.
Sin embargo, no todos los casos fueron felices. Nombres como Hideki Irabu y Kei Igawa tuvieron pasos turbulentos, pero su llegada reflejaba la capacidad del equipo para seducir a los mejores de Japón. Hoy, esa conexión parece haberse desvanecido.
The new rejections: Yamamoto and Sasaki
In recent years, the Yankees have repeated the same pattern. They went hard after Yoshinobu Yamamoto, even with Cashman applauding his no-hitter from the stands. But the result was the same: Yamamoto ended up signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, following in Ohtani’s footsteps. The same happened with Roki Sasaki, who never seriously considered New York as a destination.
Cashman insists Japanese players “don’t want to come to the East Coast”. He may be right, but his argument leaves a bitter taste. How did the team of Matsui and Tanaka become a discarded option?
El futuro: Murakami, última oportunidad
The next big opportunity is Munetaka Murakami, a slugger who could be coming to MLB this winter. For the Yankees, signing him would be more than a media coup: it would be a way to break the curse and become a global magnet once again.
If they fail, only nostalgia will remain. The images of Matsui and Tanaka wearing the pinstriped uniform will continue to gather dust in the YES Network archives, while the Dodgers – with Ohtani at the helm – continue to redefine what it means to be a truly international team.
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