What's next for Yankees after striking out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who goes to Dodgers?

NEW YORK − After heavily courting but failing to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto − the most intriguing star pitcher on the free-agent starters market − the Yankees must pivot toward the dreaded Plan B choices.

Late Thursday night, USA TODAY columnist Bob Nightengale confirmed Yamamoto's signing by the Los Angeles Dodgers, first reported by the YES Network's Jack Curry, to a 12-year, $325 million contract.

Even if they had secured Yamamoto to pair with unanimous AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, the Yankees' search for pitching depth would have continued.

Now, that need has become essential, with a glaring vacancy in a rotation that features Clarke Schmidt and lefties Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes, both of whom are coming off injury-plagued seasons.

Which pitchers will Yankees target now?

Old friend Jordan Montgomery remains in free agency, and the Yankees have considered a reunion with free agent Frankie Montas, who made just eight starts in an injury-marred season-plus in pinstripes.

The Yankees could also turn their attention to 30-year-old Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga, whose signing − like Yamamoto's − requires a posting fee paid to his former club, based on a percentage of his new contract.

So far, the Yankees have not been tied to interest in two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who is friendly with Yankees captain Aaron Judge.

After trading a lot of young, pitching talent to acquire slugger Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres, and Alex Verdugo from the Dodgers earlier this month, you wonder if the Yankees have the appetite − and the required prospects − to trade for the Milwaukee Brewers' Corbin Burnes or the Chicago White Sox's Dylan Cease.

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But the organization's position could change in any number of directions, such as stockpiling high-end relievers.

How Yankees' pursuit of Yamamoto went

As the Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported recently, one strategy - if the Yankees missed on Yamamoto - was to fortify the bullpen. And the biggest free agent reliever available is lefty Josh Hader, with Jordan Hicks and Robert Stephenson also on the market.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman had long targeted Yamamoto, but the club's pitching needs became more obvious when Michael King was shipped to the Padres - along with fellow right-handers Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez - in exchange for Soto and outfielder Trent Grisham.

Though the Yankees were ready to take their payroll past $300 million to secure Yamamoto, 25, there was clearly a limit - such as not exceeding Cole's original nine-year, $324 million deal signed after the 2019 season.

Bidding on Yamamoto began Nov. 21, with his official posting by the Orix Buffaloes. Interested MLB teams had a 45-day period- until Jan. 4 - to negotiate with Yamamoto’s agent, Joel Wolfe.

A contingent of Yankees officials, including owner Hal Steinbrenner, met formally with Yamamoto on Dec. 11 in Los Angeles. During a second meeting last week in New York, Yankees manager Aaron Boone presented Yamamoto with a No. 18 pinstriped jersey.

With a devastating splitter and curveball and pinpoint control of a wide arsenal, including an elite fastball, Yamamoto posted a career 1.82 ERA over parts of seven seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

Yamamoto is a three-time winner of the NPBL’s Eiji Sawamura Award, roughly the equivalent to MLB’s Cy Young Award.

Along with the multi-billionaire owner Steve Cohen's Mets, Yamamoto’s suitors included the Giants, Red Sox and Blue Jays.

Scouting the right-hander in Japan, Cashman was in attendance this summer when Yamamoto pitched his second career no-hitter.

Nine years ago, the Yankees signed Japanese ace Masahiro Tanaka to a seven-year, $155 million contract. Last year, the Mets signed Kodai Senga to a five-year, $75 million deal, making Yamamoto's new deal truly historic for someone yet to throw a pitch in the majors.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees do not sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who agrees to contract with Dodgers