For the duration of the offseason, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been the consensus best starting pitcher available with plenty of contenders.
As the 25-year-old prepares to jump to Major League Baseball from Japan with the Orix Buffaloes, his payday could be extremely high for a pitcher as his interests from teams only grows.
In another development, interest within Yamamoto could be breaking out in the AL East.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale believes that the New York Yankees would be the current favorites to sign Yamamoto. Nightengale also noted, however, that the Los Angeles Dodgers are also “all in” for the right-hander.
New York has already been busy this offseason, trading for outfielders Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto. Ultimately, the Yankees still need better starting pitching behind reigning Cy Young award-winner Gerrit Cole. With a hot start already, New York could make another massive splash.
Several teams continue to meet Yamamoto, including the Boston Red Sox, with a generational starting pitcher still available.
