Giants president pays ultimate compliment to Yoshinobu Yamamoto ahead of likely free agency sweepstakes: "One of the top starting pitchers"
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to come over to the MLB once the season ends. His posting date is likely to be this winter, which means he's going to be on an MLB roster shortly thereafter.
Many teams are expected to jump into his sweepstakes, as he's one of the top Japanese players to post in some time.
The San Francisco Giants are expected to get involved in the sweepstakes, especially after team president Farhan Zaidi paid Yamamoto a massive compliment via SNY:
"It’s been a pilgrimage over there from front office people to see him. He’s really one of the top starting pitchers in the world. I know it sounds like an exaggeration, but it’s not.
"It sounds like a big statement, but yeah, I think both of those guys will attract some interest, and we’re just continuing to do our work on them in anticipation of their posting in a couple of months."
The New York Mets and New York Yankees are also expected to be in on Yamamoto. The Los Angeles Dodgers and other rich teams cannot be counted out either.
There could be a genuine bidding war for the player, and the Giants have shown that they're willing to spend. They tried to sign Aaron Judge and offered him a long contract worth over $300 million.
They did sign Carlos Correa to the same before injury concerns and failed physicals botched it. With money to spend and a willingness to try and reshape the team, the Giants have to be considered a contender for Yamamoto's services.
Where will Yoshinobu Yamamoto sign?
Several teams will be interested in signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Japanese superstar has had several GMs come over from the United States to watch him play, including Yankees GM Brian Cashman- who saw him throw a no-hitter.
That means the Yankees, who will be inclined to beef up their roster with younger talent, will be in. The New York Mets, who always spend, will likely be interested, too.
The Giants and Dodgers will have the West Coast advantage and have money to spend. The Chicago Cubs are expected to be active as well.