"Juan Soto not coming back is a blessing in disguise" - Fans react to Yankees' pursuit of Roki Sasaki

It's simple. The New York Yankees prepared themselves to land Juan Soto this offseason, adjusting the payroll and getting themselves flush with cash. However, the outfielder signed with the Mets, who gave him a record 15-year, $765 million deal, a better offer than the Yankees' reported 16-year, $760 million deal.

However, although they did not land Soto, they are putting money to good use. The club has already made big moves, signing pitcher Max Fried (eight years, $218 million) and trading for closer Devin Williams and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger.

Their latest pursuit will be to acquire Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, who is under 25 and belongs to the international amateur free agent class. According to Bryan Hoch on Wednesday, the Yankees have scheduled a meeting with Sasaki.

Fans are excited about the idea of the Yankees' signing Sasaki.

"Maybe Soto not coming back is a blessing in disguise," one fan commented.

At the moment, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the biggest favorites to land Sasaki since they already have two of the best Japanese players in the MLB, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

"what’s the chance he signs without us rather than the dodgers where there’s 2 ppl from Japan," one fan added.

"we need him so bad man," another posted.

"Exciting news for Yankees fans! Roki Sasaki, known for his blazing fastball and dominance in Japan, could be a game-changer if he joins the Bronx Bombers. Brian Cashman seems to be making moves to bolster the rotation. Could this be the start of a new era for the Yankees' pitching staff?" another wrote.

"All this for him to sign with the Dodgers. Why is he wasting people’s time? This is some bulls**t. I’ll gladly eat my words if he proves he’s his own man not interested in riding coattails," one user commented.

One fan wants the team to sign free agent Corbin Burnes instead:

"Screw this guy. Sign Burnes."

"There's more lifting to do," says Yankees GM Brian Cashman

After a flurry of big moves early on, the Yankees front office is not hitting brakes anytime soon. They have their eyes on other prized free agents whom they can acquire.

"We've done some heavy lifting with Max, with Devin Williams, with Bellinger," Cashman said via ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "But there's more lifting to do."

Roki Sasaki is seen as arguably the best pitcher on the planet who has yet to play in the MLB. He carries a lot of upside with him, and since he won't cost much as teams will be required to use their international pool money, the Yankees won't make a big dent in their payroll if they sign him.