“The Imperial March” hits and here comes the Los Angeles Dodgers. After a historic offseason that saw them signing Shohei Ohtani for $700 million and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for $325 million, the Blue Crew is still in the market. Now their eyes are on Shota Imanaga, which has sent alarm bells ringing in the New York Yankees organization. 

After losing out on Yamamoto, the Yankees have been heavily pursuing Imanaga. The Dodgers were responsible for the Yamamoto heartbreak, but can history repeat itself so quickly? Could the Dodgers spoil the Yankees’ party once more?

The New York Yankees and Shota Imanaga connection faces another obstacle

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave one similar reason for joining the Dodgers – the management’s hunger for wins. It seems the Blue Crew is trying to show that hunger to the world. After signing Tyler Glasnow, the team is allegedly targeting Imanaga as well. With the New York Yankees firmly in the race, there’s a battle brewing between both these teams.

Imanaga’s contract is expected to be between $85 to $100 million, with recent estimates being nearer to the higher end. Overall, the numbers aren’t too daunting, especially for an adept and experienced pitcher like Imanaga. Perhaps that’s why both the Yankees and Dodgers seem eager to get him to their fold.

While the pitching woes of the Yankees are known to all, the Dodgers have issues of their own. Even after signing Glasnow and Yamamoto, the Blue Crew require one more arm. With Clayton Kershaw possibly heading for an exit, the Dodgers can’t start 2024 with a potentially injury-prone Glasnow and an MLB-inexperienced Yamamoto.

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So even though the Dodgers are already past the taxation threshold, they’re willing to invest even more in pitchers. This is something that can worry the Bronx as despite their big brand, in the recent past the Dodgers have zoomed past the Yankees in prestige as well as wealth.

The growing Dodgers brand could hurt the Bombers

The Yankees were known as the “Big Evil Empire” under George Steinbrenner but have changed after his demise. But the Dodgers seem to have filled the vacuum left by the Bronx Squad. With huge ambitions and constant investments, LA is now acting like the Yankees used to do in the 90s and early 2000s. 

The Dodgers’ improved brand image can be seen through the fact that Yamamoto chose them over the Yankees. And Shohei Ohtani never showed any interest in the Bronx club. They have a decade of consistent playoffs and a World Series to show. If the Dodgers succeed in swaying Imanaga to their front, they will be closer to becoming the new “Big Evil Empire” of baseball. It sure would be a sight to behold.

Read more: MLB Rumors: Yankees Set for Shota Imanaga Pursuit? Amidst Japanese Ace’s Buzzing Sweepstakes, Bombers’ Pitching Needs Intensify