Did former Astros standout help keep Yoshinobu Yamamoto away from Yankees?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the hottest commodity on the free agent market until his signing with the Dodgers last night, but the Houston Astros were not among the many teams who were gunning for him. At least five teams were still in on him by the time he chose the Dodgers, and the New York Yankees were one of the most aggressive. Of all of the contenders in this race, the worst-case scenario for the Astros would've been Yamamoto going to the Bronx.

However, there may have been a player out there with ties to Houston who indirectly helped usher Yamamoto away from the Evil Empire and see the light.

The Boston Red Sox were reportedly a late-game candidate for Yamamoto, and manager Alex Cora had us playing an informal game of Immaculate Grid when he told Rob Bradford on the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast, "I think [Yamamoto] knows a lot about Fenway. We got guys that played with him this year that had the experience of playing in New York, Boston, Houston." A former Yankee, Red Sock, and Astro who played in NPB this year with Yamamoto? There's only one answer: Marwin Gonzalez.

Did former Astros standout help keep Yoshinobu Yamamoto away from Yankees?

After a .303/.377/.530 year that earned him MVP votes in 2017, Gonzalez's performance took a dip that never recovered. After Houston, he bounced around to the Twins, the Red Sox, and the Yankees before calling it a day for MLB and heading to Japan, where he signed with none other than the Orix Buffaloes in December 2022, Yamamoto's home since 2017.

Gonzalez has taken almost 200 career at-bats in Fenway Park, most from his five month stint with the Red Sox, so you could say that he knows it decently well. Although Fenway is considered a hitter's park, the importance of Yamamoto knowing what playing there would've been like probably had more to do with the history and the vibe. Fenway is the oldest park in MLB, and it certainly has more life inside of it than new Yankee Stadium.

If Gonzalez did influence Yamamoto's decision away from the Yankees in any way, then the Astros should thank him. The Astros might have to deal with him next year in the postseason as a Dodger, but at least he's not a New York Yankee.

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