New York Yankees Informed They Will Not Get Shohei Otani

According to reports, the New York Yankees have been notified that they are no longer in the running for Japanese phenom Shohei Otani.

The New York Yankees had been considered one of the favorites to land Japanses phenom Shohei Otani. Although money was not considered a priority for Otani, the Yankees had the most money available to offer in regards to a signing bonus. Playing in New York would offer plenty of endorsement opportunities for Otani to make up for that missing salary anyway, giving the Yankees another advantage.

The Yankees also have a legacy with Japanese players. While Kei Igawa and Hideki Irabu flamed out, the Yankees had a great deal of success with Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka. Having Tanaka as a part of the rotation would also seem to be an advantage, allowing Otani to have a fellow countryman to help him adjust to life in the majors.

However, no one quite knows what criteria Otani has in mind for his future home. He requested that teams send him a plan of attack as to why he should head to their franchises. Differing rumors have surfaced as to what is important to Otani, including the idea that he be the first Japanese star on their roster.

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And yet, no one knows for sure what Otani is thinking as he is set to enter the majors. His ideals, and even which teams he is considering as a favorite, have been a mystery. However, he has begun whittling down the teams that he is considering signing with. The Yankees are amongst the teams that have been informed that they will not be making the first cut.

It is also interesting to note that Yankees GM Brian Cashman gave some possible insight as to where Otanis does end up. He stated that, if he were running a smaller market team on the West Coast, he would be quite excited. That certainly narrows the field down a bit.

Next: Yankees name Boone as manager

Shohei Otani is starting to make cuts to his list of possible destinations. The New York Yankees were one of those cuts, and will not be landing the prized prospect.