Yankees emerging as front runners for Japanese prospect means more than winning Shoki Oda chase

As the Shoki Oda meetings are underway and the New York Yankees dream on not only his potential, but what landing him would mean for opening a brand new pipeline into untapped elite Japanese talent, another, better opportunity may have presented itself.

New York has emerged as the frontrunner to land Japanese right-handed pitcher Kosei Hiroike (sometimes referred to as Hiroshige Hiroike) out of Keio University in Minato, Japan. Like Oda, Hiroike made it known that he prefers to begin his career in the United States, and all 12 NPB teams passed on him in the recent draft to respect his wishes.

The 22-year-old isn't as highly regarded as Oda; however, he throws 97 miles per hour and has a pair of breaking balls that are at least intriguing offerings. He also studied biomechanics in college, and there's some belief that his studies carried over and helped him improve on the mound. Hiroike grew up idolizing Gerrit Cole, providing him with some further motivation to sign with the Yankees.

He's an intriguing prospect and another in the growing wave of young Japanese talent that is deciding to forgo NPB careers to sign with MLB organizations as international amateur free agents. But why is he more important to the Yankees' greater aims in the Pacific Rim than the younger and more exciting Oda? Well, that comes down to who his father is.

Hiroike's dad is Koji Hiroike, the general manager of NPB's Seibu Lions. One has to imagine that, given his dad's background, he's taken an active role in advising his son on his future career path and that the younger Hiroike's desire to sign with the Yankees has less to do with his admiration for Cole and more to do with a faith in New York's ability to develop young pitching talent.

Bigger picture, though, this is massive. Relationships matter everywhere, but the importance of trust and respect is that much greater in Japan due to the culture. Having a link to an NPB front office could give the Yankees an added level of credibility in future negotiations with posted NPB stars. Add in Hideki Matsui's appointment as manager of the Yomiuri Giants, and the Yankees' standing in Japan is rising.

Signing Kosei Hiroike could supercharge the Yankees' global footprint expansion

Since Mario Garza took over the international scouting department in New York, we've seen the Yankees begin to reach their tentacles into far-flung places. Back in February, that led them to Hungary, where their deal with teenage catcher Marko Morua made history, as he was the first player born and raised in the Central European nation to reach a deal with a major league club.

Garza then brought former St. Louis Cardinals executive Matt Slater into the fold, hoping to leverage his extensive experience in the Asian market to reinvigorate the Yankees' presence in that baseball hotbed.

Not long after, New York signed 18-year-old right-hander Chien-Fan Lai out of Taiwan. Lai is a real talent, currently ranking No. 25 on the Yankees' top 30 prospect list, and is just the third Taiwanese player ever to sign with the team.

Then, in August, the Yankees signed 17-year-old third baseman Joh Sung-chul out of South Korea. After being one of the dominant powers in Latin America, New York is finally starting to show that it will no longer neglect other parts of the world.

However, outside of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, Japan is the real powerhouse, and a nut that the Yankees haven't been able to crack since signing Masahiro Tanaka back in 2014. Closing the deal with Hiroike could be just what's needed to open the floodgates — both to the amateur talent in the Land of the Rising Sun — but also to the NPB stars who continue to flood the free-agent market every winter. Perhaps the Yankees are about to have some friends in high places.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow