A pair of reports suggest that the Boston Red Sox have a big advantage that will help make a very big splash in the MLB free agency pitching market this winter.
After falling just short of another trip to the World Series two years ago, the Boston Red Sox have had back-to-back seasons that ended at the bottom of the American League East standings. While they no longer have a top-10 payroll, these are not the sort of results they want for the $181 million they spent this past season.
That’s why it should come as no surprise that the Red Sox are expected to check in on some of the most notable players in this year’s free-agent class to improve the roster for 2024. Shohei Ohtani is the top name on the market this winter and Boston is viewed as a potential contender, however, the man many see as the best pitcher available may offer the best chance of a major addition in the offseason.
Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a player who has garnered a notable amount of interest recently, and that is only seeming to intensify with him set to meet with teams soon. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets are viewed as favorites but the Red Sox have the funds and the market to certainly intrigue Yamamoto, who reportedly prefers to play in a major baseball city.
Boston Red Sox have a major advantage in Yoshinobu Yamamoto chase
Another key hurdle that helps Boston is the fact that despite some Japanese players preferring not to play with their countrymen in MLB, due to Japanese hierarchy traditions, Yamamoto is all for having someone like outfielder Masataka Yoshida be his teammate next season.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto stats (2023): 17-6, 1.16 ERA, 0.860 WHIP, 176 SO, 171 IP
Furthermore, another key element that is very helpful for the Boston Red Sox is that not only is Yamamoto interested in playing with other Japanese players but Yoshida is reportedly a close friend. This gives them a notable advantage over teams like the Dodgers or Yankees since they have a player that would make the 25-year-old’s transition to playing in the United States that much more comfortable.
Next to Padres veteran Blake Snell, Yamamoto is viewed as the best pitcher in this year’s class and has a huge upside since he has not even hit his prime yet.