A New York Mets insider revealed that the prevailing opinion is that the team is a serious contender for Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as well as when the tide really turned for the franchise.
With Shohei Ohtani making his long-awaited free agent decision and agreeing to a massive 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the focus at the top of the market is now on Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Nearly half of MLB is interested in the 25-year-old three-time Nippon Professional Baseball MVP. Yet, what makes the chase so fascinating beyond the large field is the many wealthy franchises involved, including the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox. However, even a couple of months ago the New York Mets were in hot pursuit of the Orix Buffaloes star.
While reports have claimed recently that the Mets are a favorite for Yamamoto’s services, that wasn’t always the case. On Wednesday SNY MLB insider Andy Martino gave a major update on where the Mets stand currently in the Yamamoto chase and he claimed while getting opinions on their chances he had “well-connected sources saying the Mets have no chance to land the NPB superstar pitcher and sources predicting they’ll get him.”
New York Mets owner traveling to Japan made a big impression on Yoshinobu Yamamoto
However, when all his investigating around the team and free agent market was complete, the impression he got was that the New York Mets were among the top two or three contenders for Yamamoto. And there was a specific moment when he and his representation started to take the organization more seriously as a candidate after previously being considered an “afterthought.”
“Most sources with direct knowledge of Yamamoto’s intentions say that the Mets have somehow climbed into a solid position,” Martino wrote. “The vibe began to shift after Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns visited Yamamoto in Japan two weeks ago. Now, sources with direct knowledge put the Mets in the top two or three candidates for Yamamoto.”
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Owners meeting top free agents is not unusual, however, billionaires traveling across the globe to show how serious their interest is can be a major statement. And that seems to have made an impression on Yamamoto and his reps.
The Japanese ace is believed to prefer playing in a major market, which helps the Mets. But also keeps the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox in the running as well. He is also expected to land a contract worth around $300 million.
