Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be perfect for the Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox don't seem to be a team that is interested in buying any good players this off-season that could help them in the long-term. They have already literally admitted to trying to cut payroll despite having one of the worst seasons in franchise history. A 61-101 team that seems to have no interest in getting better is what they are.

That should not be how they operate, though. If a player is willing to sign with them that can help them win, they should be going for it even if the team's 2024 aspirations aren't high. They claim they aren't rebuilding which means that they think they can compete. If they don't do anything other than trade all of their good players, however, it tells a different story.

One player that Chicago should be trying to go for is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He is one of the best free-agent pitchers on the market, but he has never played a Major League Baseball game as he has spent his entire career playing in Japan. Although his ability to translate it to this league is unknown, all signs point to him being an elite rotation arm.

His numbers tell the tale of a pitcher that can dominate. While MLB is clearly the top tier of competition, Nippon Professional Baseball is the second best league in the world and it is loaded with good hitters. In 2023, Yamamoto dominated as he went 17-6 with a 1.16 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. He struck out 176 batters in 171.0 innings pitched.

The Chicago White Sox should be all in on Yoshinobu Yamamoto

This was a very impressive season for him based on these statistics. He knows how to get batters out in many different ways which is why his WHIP and ERA were both so low. Now, he looks to take these talents to Major League Baseball.

His numbers are going to decline a little bit in MLB because those numbers from Japan don't exist in MLB and the level of competition is going to be much higher. The hitters Yamamoto is going to face are significantly better, but he is still going to be a very good pitcher given the quality of his stuff. It just will be against players on the same level as him now.

If the White Sox were to try and become that team that landed him, it would be a good look for Chris Getz who is trying to establish himself as the GM of this team. There is not a lot of optimism surrounding this team at all so a move like this could start to turn the attitude a little bit.

We don't know the future (team or role on the team) of Michael Kopech or Dylan Cease coming into 2024, so the rotation has no locked spots. If the White Sox pulled off a Yamamoto signing by a miracle, he'd probably end up starting as their ace.

It is worth it for them but everyone knows they won't because they are cheap and not interested in winning the way that they should be.