The free agent and trade market in MLB is currently in full swing now that the Winter Meetings have started.
There are rumors and rumblings everywhere, most notably around Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yamamoto has never thrown a pitch in the United States, yet there is talk about his MLB contract surpassing or approaching $200 million.
He is that talented, but talent alone doesn’t automatically gift a pitcher such a high contract.
Since there is a league-wide need for pitching, money to spend, and plenty of teams interested in him, the bidding for Yamamoto is expected to reach very high numbers.
What about the player?
Well, he is close to taking a plane to America for personal, face-to-face negotiations with some squads.
“Yoshinobu Yamamoto is coming to the U.S. within the next week to meet with MLB teams. The Mets will be among those teams,” New York Mets insider Mike Puma tweeted.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is coming to the U.S. within the next week to meet with MLB teams. The Mets will be among those teams.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 4, 2023
Yamamoto posted a 1.21 ERA in 164 innings in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league.
He was elected, for the third consecutive time, the MVP of the Pacific League and the winner of the Eiji Sawamura award for the league’s best pitcher.
The Mets are expected to be finalists in the Yamamoto sweepstakes, as they are prioritizing him over Shohei Ohtani.
Mets owner Steve Cohen has enough money to outbid everyone for Yamamoto, but it’s not just about the finances.
Teams and cities will be making their pitches, and other factors (closeness to being a contender, geographical location, marketing opportunities, etc.) could come into play.
Will Yamamoto join the Mets?
Only time will tell, and a decision should come relatively soon.
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