It seems that the New York Mets’ pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto could intensify this week after the organization had a second meeting with the Japanese ace this weekend.
While the Mets were expected to be more conservative this offseason than years passed when it comes to Yoshinobu Yamamoto all bets are off. The three-time Nippon Professional Baseball MVP is arguably the most sought-after player on this year’s market after becoming Asia’s best pitcher at just 25 years old.
Even before the 2023 MLB season ended, the Mets were pursuing the Orix Buffaloes star and had former general manager Billy Eppler make a trip to Japan to scout him in person. When the free agent market officially opened last month, the organization made their interest known and owner Steve Cohen also made a trip to the “Land of the Rising Sun” to meet the young pitcher and his representation earlier this month.
That meeting reportedly made an impression and has, at the very least, helped make the Mets one of the top contenders for Yamamoto. However, they are competing against crosstown rivals the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants reportedly already have $300 million offers on the table for the pitcher.
New York Mets had a second meeting with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Saturday night
It seems those offers and the interest from other wealthy organizations have not diminished the Mets’ chances in the Yamamoto sweepstakes. On Sunday morning, SNY MLB insider Andy Martino reported that the pitcher had a second dinner meeting with the representatives of the team on Saturday night at Cohen’s home.
The meeting reportedly included new manager Carlos Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. It is unclear if this officially means they are among the set of finalists but would seem to indicate as much.
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Martino also revealed that the Mets have not made an offer to the pitcher yet, but he expects the negotiations to “accelerate” this week. The Yankees are also expected to have a second meeting with Yamamoto in the coming days. However, there have been reports that Cohen would be willing to match any offer for Yamamoto’s services by a competing team.
