Yoshinobu Yamamoto Update: Insider reveals 3 teams that appear to be 'finalists' to land Japanese ace
As the Jan. 4 deadline approaches, the hunt for Yoshinobu Yamamoto is fully on. He has reportedly met with a few teams in the last couple of weeks and should be coming to a decision soon.
Yamamoto is considered one of the top-rated pitchers on the open market and, at only 25 years old, can be an ace for years to come. He is coming off his third consecutive Japanese Triple Crown.
With his deadline just two weeks away, he has narrowed the list of teams interested in his services. Currently, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and New York Yankees are the reported finalists to sign Yamamoto.
The one team that was eliminated from contention was the San Francisco Giants. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has reportedly informed the club that he will not be signing with them, making it another star-free agent the Giants have lost out on.
Yamamoto had recent visits with the Mets and Yankees last weekend, which was requested by Yamamoto's camp. He was also asked to join Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles for the LA Rams game, but could not make it.
These finalists are pushing hard to land Yamamoto. It is expected that he will get a contract upwards of $300 million, so he will not be cheap.
What is the best fit for Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
Any of the top three teams would arguably be a good fit for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He is young, dominant and still developing as a baseball player.
One thing that Yamamoto mentioned was his desire to win. He does not want to end up in a situation like Ohtani was with the Angels. To this day, Ohtani still has not played in a postseason game in Major League Baseball.
If he values winning, the Dodgers seem like the best choice. From Ohtani to Tyler Glasnow to the team's core, they are built for a championship. And not just one; their championship window is possibly open for years to come.
The Mets are another interesting choice. If he signed with them, he would be teammates with Kodai Senga, The two are friends, and the Mets have turned to Senga to help recruit Yamamoto.
For the Yankees, Yamamoto could value joining the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole. That would be an incredible one-two punch at the top of the rotation.
With time running out, expect Yamamoto to make a decision soon.