The episode on Shohei Ohtani’s contract ended after his signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now the spotlight in MLB has turned to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, possibly the most sought-after free agent in MLB history.
“The actual bidding process is supposed to intensify this week with the expectation of a deal being finalized before the new year.” —
Joel Sherman regarding Yamamoto
— Darius Glover (@GloverDarius) December 17, 2023
Yamamoto, the 25-year-old, will be an ace for any team signing him and has reported creating a bidding war on his deal among all market teams.
As per reports, it is projected to secure at least $300 million and could set the record number of years deal signed by a pitcher, currently belongs to the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole at 9 years.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Giants, and Red Sox were suspected to have offered a deal to Yamamoto worth $300 million.
In the latest updates, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Yamamoto had dinner on Saturday at Mets owner Steve Cohen’s house. Joined by Cohen’s wife, Alex, president of baseball operations David Stearns, manager Carlos Mendoza, and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
Currently, one of the best pitchers in the world and three favorite teams to land him are the Mets, the Yankees, and the Dodgers.
As per the New York Post, it is reported that the Mets are in the mix to land the Japanese star amidst the costly bidding war of $300 million.
The deal is to be sealed soon as the window to sign Yamamoto closes at 5 p.m. on Jan. 4 and a deal is expected to be reached before the new year, per the report.
Yamamoto is a three-time Pacific League MVP and Eiji Sawamura Award winner in Japan, totaling an ERA under 2.00 in each of his last three seasons.
