New York Mets boss Steve Cohen secretly showed how serious he is about signing Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a bold and rare move last week.
After winning 101 games in 2022, the Mets had a disastrous showing this past season. Their first half was so disappointing, and there were no signs that they could turn things around, that the franchise shockingly were sellers at the MLB trade deadline. However, New York seems very motivated to right the ship this offseason.
Despite reports that they would punt being a contending team to 2025, after trading aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the organization has reportedly been aggressive in the free-agent market over the last month. And while they may not throw around money this offseason like they have in previous years, they might not be far off.
Behind Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, three-time NPB MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the most sought-after player in this year’s market. For nearly two months, the New York Mets have been seen as a top contender for the 25-year-old pitching phenom’s services. However, the market competing for him has grown and so has the potential price tag — with some saying it could go as high as $300 million.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto taking New York Mets interest ‘seriously’
Considering the large payroll the Mets will have next year — since they will pay much of what’s left on Verlander and Scherzer’s contracts — it would be understandable if they shifted gears away from the Japanese pitcher and aimed to fill the multiple holes they have in the starting staff with more affordable options.
Well, last week New York owner Steve Cohen showed he is not playing around in the Yamamoto market and isn’t looking at low-cost options just yet.
SNY’s Andy Martino reported this week that unbeknownst to most around baseball, the Mets boss actually traveled to Japan to meet with the pitcher and his representatives to show how serious he is about signing him. Rarely do owners travel to meet players in North America, so traveling from New York to Japan is a whole other level of showing involvement.
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Martino added that Yamamoto is still set to go through the process, and speak with every team interested and a deal may not come for a couple of weeks. But the oMets seems to be leading the race at the moment.
“The Mets are a real contender for Yamamoto,” Martino said Thursday on SNY. “Talking to his people, they’re taking the Mets’ candidacy seriously — so this is something to watch, but not something to watch within the next few days or even potentially the week.”
