For a long time, people have said that Japanese players like the Los Angeles Dodgers more than the Yankees. The trio, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki, picked Los Angeles. The Dodgers have put together a strong group of Japanese players, while the Yankees’ recent efforts have mostly failed. With Munetaka Murakami becoming a target this offseason, the same old question comes up again: Is there really a cultural preference that keeps Japanese players from going to the Bronx?

During their Locked On Yankees YouTube show, hosts Stacey Gotsulias and Brian McKeon pushed back directly against this narrative. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the East Coast or the West Coast.” They insisted, “I really don’t,” stressing that the recent signings of Japanese players were not because they didn’t like New York. The hosts said that the Dodgers’ success in getting Japanese players is because of the timing of their moves and the players they already have, not because they don’t like the Yankees.

According to the hosts, recent Japanese signings with Los Angeles stem primarily from strategic decisions rather than anti-Yankees sentiment. “The recent ones have more to do with Ohtani than not wanting to play for the Yankees,” the broadcast explained that Yamamoto and Sasaki both went to Los Angeles for the same reasons: money and the chance to play with famous players.

The hosts made it clear that even though legendary Japanese Yankees Masahiro Tanaka and Hideki Matsui left New York, they are still very much loved there. “These Japanese players are even more impressed by playing with Hideki Matsui, who is one of the most famous Japanese baseball players ever,” they argued, underscoring that the Yankees possess significant cultural equity with Japan’s baseball community.

The Yankees are now going after Munetaka Murakami, a player who could show if the team can finally beat the Dodgers at bringing in Japanese players. The 6-foot-2, 213-pound slugger hit .286 with 24 home runs in only 69 games, which is the kind of production that works in other countries. The Yankees have the money to make a competitive offer because they can spend about $70 million before they hit the $300 million luxury tax limit. It is still unclear if Murakami will be the one to change recent trends, but the fact that the Yankees are going after him suggests that they are challenging the idea that circumstances—not preference—determine where top Japanese talent ultimately signs.

Yankees find silver linings in tough offseason

If the New York Yankees get Murakami, it would be a big step forward in their ongoing battle with the Dodgers for Japanese players. At last, the Yankees hear some good news. The organization is getting a break with Aaron Judge‘s health after a terrible season that fell apart in the playoffs. The injury that worried everyone won’t end the career of their star player like everyone thought it would.

This is the thing that makes this very important for the Yankees’ plans. Judge was very lucky that he didn’t need Tommy John surgery. As MLB Trade Rumors’ Darragh McDonald points out, “If Judge had required Tommy John surgery or some other significant elbow operation, that would have had lingering impacts into the 2026 season, though it seems Judge will be expected to be a full-time outfielder again next year. That should allow the Yankees to go into 2026 planning on having Judge in right and Stanton in the DH slot.” This gives them real options for how to build their lineup in the future.

There is bad news coming, though. Cody Bellinger is not going to sign his deal, which means he is now a free agent. Jorge Castillo from ESPN says it like this: “Bellinger, 30, has a $25 million player option for next season. After a rebound season in his first year in pinstripes, he presumably will receive widespread interest in free agency — it should yield a lucrative multi-year contract.”

But here’s the good news. Bellinger’s great year with New York makes it possible to bring him back. The flexible outfielder showed his worth in the Bronx, and both sides could benefit from making a new deal.