It was officially confirmed that MLB free agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto would be replaced by the New York Mets.
After going overboard on elite MLB free agents in their 30s, the New York Mets have gained important insight during the past two seasons. Although it has significantly improved the Mets’ spending strategy, it might also have unsatisfactory outcomes this winter.
Shohei Ohtani always gave clubs on the West Coast priority, thus New York was never really in the running for the title. Rather, the Mets have focused much of their attention on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a right-handed pitcher from Japan.
At twenty-five years old, Yamamoto is among the top pitchers in baseball outside of Japan. In addition to leading the Pacific League in wins and strikeouts the last three seasons, he has thrown a no-hitter in each of the last two seasons. As the most sought-after starting pitcher available in MLB free agency, Yamamoto won the Japanese Triple Crown three times in a row.
In the race for Yamamoto, the Mets have faced off against some of the richest teams in baseball. The teams most interested in the Japanese superstar are New York, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox, and the San Francisco Giants. The teams in New York appear to be in the lead, but the Mets risk losing out if they don’t sign Yamamoto.
The Athletic’s Will Sammon claims that the Mets are essentially in a “Yamamoto-or-bust” situation. Owner Steve Cohen would allegedly wait to make a big financial commitment for at least another year if the Yankees or another team sign the acclaimed ace.
Leave a Reply