The New York Yankees are all of a sudden one of the busiest teams in the MLB and they're doing their due diligence while adding for 2024 and beyond. After acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees are reportedly close to getting Juan Soto and they've scheduled a meeting with top free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Yankees will meet with the 25-year-old superstar hurler in the United States on Monday, per Jon Morosi. MLB teams have until Jan. 4 to sign Yamamoto.

The Yankees are certainly not alone in their pursuit of Yamamoto, but New York will love its chances to persuade him to sign during the in-person meeting. Other teams who are expected to be serious players for Yamamoto include the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox.

Yankees willing to spend big

photo of Yamamoto in action in Yankees jersey

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Though he'll certainly be criticized if the moves don’t pan out, the fact that Brian Cashman is being active this early in the offseason has to mean something to Yankees fans. Trading for Alex Verdugo is not enough to make the Yankees contenders in 2024, but adding Juan Soto and Yoshinobu Yamamoto would.

Yamamoto will not come cheap, with some expecting him to get offers in the range of $300 million. The Yankees have always been big spenders and handed out the richest pitcher contract in MLB history to Gerrit Cole four years ago. Would Cashman get the green light to dish out the second-highest to Yamamoto?

The Yankees have had solid luck when it comes to signing Japanese pitchers, including the likes of Hirkoki Kuroda and Masahiro Tanaka. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a chance to be one of the best Japanese pitchers of all time and starting his MLB career in a Yankees uniform would be iconic for the sport.

The Yankees do not want a repeat of the 2023 season where they missed the playoffs. These moves would not only make New York the favorite in the AL East, but they would also be among the favorites to win the American League pennant.