The New York Yankees and New York Mets are in search of impact starting pitching in free agency and a new report claims, arguably, the best arm on this year’s market may prefer to play for one of the teams from Gotham.
This past summer was a rough one for baseball fans in New York City. After both of their two MLB teams had impressive seasons and reached the postseason in 2022, the opposite occurred this year. The Mets were so terrible that they threw up the white flag before the trade deadline and became one of the biggest sellers in July. As for the Yankees, injuries and down seasons from several key players led to barely finishing with a record over .500 in 2023.
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Another thing the franchises have in common beyond their disappointing showing this year is the fact that both are expected to be targeting starting pitching in MLB free agency over the next couple of months. Furthermore, they have both been linked to one of the top players in this winter’s pitching market, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Japanese star has seen his profile blown up in the last month as many wealthy teams have shown interest in the 25-year-old. Similar to fellow free agent and countryman Shohei Ohtani, the favorite to sign him seems to change on a regular basis. However, there might be one major difference between them that is a huge advantage for the New York Yankees and New York Mets.
New York Yankees and New York Mets the new leaders in Yoshinobu Yamamoto chase
There has been a belief around the league since Ohtani signed his first MLB deal that he prefers to play on the West Coast and competing in a major market is not at all a priority for him. However, according to USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale, “Yamamoto, unlike Shohei Ohtani, clamors to pitch in a large market, two executives say, predicting that he will pitch for the Yankees or Mets.”
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The Mets are reportedly looking for several starting pitchers in this year’s market and have been linked to Yamamoto for months. Plus, the 2023 success of Japanese import Kodai Senga could give them a big advantage in luring Yamamoto.
The Yankees are looking to improve their starting rotation for next season after 2022 All-Star Nestor Cortes regressed this past season, and free agent addition Carlos Rodon’s health has become a long-term concern for the organization.
