There is no question that outside of seeing where superstar Shohei Ohtani lands, the baseball world will be focused on what team can lure Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to pitch for them. The New York Mets and New York Yankees are certainly going to be two of the more interested teams, according to multiple reports. The 25-year-old has won three straight Golden Glove Awards and three straight Eiji Sawamura Awards (Japanese Cy Young-equivalent) on the way to being one of the most sought-after Japanese pitchers in history.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers are among one of the most interested teams in Yamamoto. Morosi also notes that Yamamoto hasn’t been posted yet, though multiple reports say that will likely happen this week.
Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly reports that the Mets will have competition within the NL EAST in the form of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made it clear that pitching is a priority this offseason, and the Mets starting depth outside of Kodai Senga and José Quintana is limited. Senga reportedly “made it vocal to Mets management that he wants Yamamoto to be a Met,” according to The Athletic.
Once Yamamoto is officially posted, teams will have 45 days to sign the starter. Make sure to check out our free agent profile on Yamamoto. Joel Wolfe, the same agent that represents Senga and Mets closer Edwin Díaz, is negotiating Yamamoto’s first major league contract.
The post MLB Rumors: Dodgers, Phillies Interested in Yoshinobu Yamamoto first appeared on Metsmerized Online.
