The New York Mets didn’t get Shohei Ohtani, and while he would have been a massive boost to the batting lineup, he couldn’t have helped improve the team’s rotation in 2024. After trading Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in an effort to shed payroll, there’s a bigger need to rebuild the rotation, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the biggest name available.
While Yamamoto is unproven, there isn’t a player in free agency with a higher ceiling than the three-time Pacific League NPB MVP.
Yet, the Mets still have a desire to cut costs, so they’re not just looking to spend to appease the public. The goal is only to open up the pocketbook for someone special, like Yamamoto.
Will Sammon of The Athletic has learned that the Mets currently view Yamamoto as the only free agent worth going above and beyond for. So, if New York’s front office isn’t able to land the five-time NPB All-Star, the Mets won’t be pivoting to the next-best pitcher available. It’s Yamamoto or no go.
If or when the Mets do add to their pitching staff, aside from pursuing Yamamoto, the expectation is for the team to target short-term deals, such as one or two-year commitments.
Sources close to the situation lay out two primary reasons for this line of thinking.
One, Yamamoto is still just 25, meaning he’s worth making a long-term commitment to. Not to mention, he has the potential to be an ace instead of landing in the middle of the rotation like many of the other pitchers available.
The other reason is simply that this may not be the Mets’ year either. If they couldn’t win it all when going all-in, how will they suddenly become one of MLB’s best in 2024? Progress could be made, sure, but the Dodgers just got Ohtani, and they won’t stop there.