\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Speier said he thinks the Red Sox will be aggressive in upgrading their rotation, and cited Boston’s successful signing of Japanese starter Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 2006-07 offseason as a model for their strategy in pursuing Yamamoto.\n\nBut there will of course be many teams looking to sign the Japanese star. One other club that surfaced in rumors Tuesday was the Giants.\n\nMLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reported that San Francisco is prioritizing signing either Yamamoto or Shohei Ohtani \”above all other options this offseason.\””,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”**Nov. 27: Yamamoto ‘likely to take time with decision’ (report)** \nYamamoto is arguably the top free-agent starting pitcher this offseason and has seen half of the league reach out to him, according to his agent Joel Wolfe. That extensive group of interested suitors could prolong Yamamoto’s signing timeline. \n\nBased on the volume of interest, MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reported that Yamamoto is \”likely to take time with his decision.\” Because Yamamoto is a 25-year-old frontline-caliber starter with a big market, Morosi believes that Yamamoto will be deliberate with his process. Yamamoto’s 45-day negotiating window opened on Nov. 21 and runs until 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 4, 2024.\n\nSources told SNY’s Andy Martino that Yamamoto would start meeting with MLB teams this week, with conversations being held via phone and Zoom while Yamamoto is in Japan.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-11-27T15:51:53.058Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\”preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2023/2023-11/27/7858bdc2-6e51f817-039f44e9-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”Jon Morosi talks more on Sonny Gray reportedly joining the Cardinals, and how quickly will Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto will sign”,”displayAsVideoGif”:false,”duration”:”00:13:17″,”slug”:”morosi-talks-sonny-gray-more”,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”vod”,”title”:”vod”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlbn-hot-stove”,”title”:”MLBN Hot Stove”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”mlb-network”,”title”:”MLB Network”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”rumors”,”title”:”rumors”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/pmukattewa2hgc8ivo52″},”title”:”Morosi talks Sonny Gray, more”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/morosi-talks-sonny-gray-more”}],”relativeSiteUrl”:”/news/yoshinobu-yamamoto-rumors”,”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto is coming to the Majors via the posting system. MLB.com is keeping track of the latest news and rumors surrounding the right-handed pitcher.”,”tagline({\”formatString\”:\”none\”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”rumors”,”title”:”rumors”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-808967″,”title”:”Yoshinobu Yamamoto”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:808967″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”star-signing”,”title”:”star signing”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”type”:”story”,”thumbnail”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/zesovyty1ew0solx52qh”,”title”:”Yoshinobu Yamamoto Free Agency News and Rumors”}},”Person:808967″:{“__typename”:”Person”,”id”:808967}}}
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December 4th, 2023
Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto is coming to the Majors via the posting system. MLB.com is keeping track of the latest news and rumors surrounding the right-handed pitcher.
Dec. 4: Could Yamamoto land $300 million deal?
As the offseason goes on, the market for Yamamoto has only gotten more competitive. According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, the 25-year-old ace is “the most sought after free agent on the market based on interested teams” — quite the feat in a free agency period headlined by Shohei Ohtani.
The competition for Yamamoto can only be good news for the right-hander in terms of his impending contract. While MLB Trade Rumors projected Yamamoto to receive a nine-year, $225 million deal at the start of the offseason, that number only seems to have gone up. According to Bowden, Yamamoto could receive close to $300 million on the open market.
Only six players have ever received $300 million or more on the open market, with Gerrit Cole (nine years, $324 million) the only pitcher to do so. Ohtani is likely to smash that mark, with reports saying the bidding has topped $500 million and could even go as high as $600 million. But for Yamamoto, a star in Nippon Professional Baseball and one of the youngest free agents on the market, landing a $300 million contract this offseason appears possible. Teams still have one month to sign him, as Yamamoto’s posting window closes at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 4.
Dec. 4: Yamamoto sweepstakes heating up; Giants gaining momentum?
With the Winter Meetings underway in Nashville, Tenn., multiple teams seem to be making a big push to land Yamamoto, the top starting pitcher on the open market this year.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle also has heard “an awful lot of buzz on the Giants and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.” Per Slusser, some of the other teams in the hunt for the 25-year-old think San Francisco “might have an edge” in the bidding.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote Sunday that the Giants are in on the Japanese ace along with the Dodgers and Mets. However, he adds that the Yankees are “doing everything possible” to get Yamamoto. With trade talks between the Yankees and Juan Soto at a reported standstill, the Bronx Bombers could be focusing on Yamamoto, who is their “No. 1 priority,” per Nightengale.
Morosi reports that the Red Sox are still involved in the Yamamoto market as well, two days after Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe wrote that Boston is “among the teams expected to be finalists” for the Japanese right-hander.
Nov. 30: Are Mets the favorites in crowded market for Yamamoto?
The competition for Yamamoto’s services appears to be fierce, with big-market clubs all over the Majors interested in the 25-year-old righty.
While we wait to see which of these clubs emerge as the leading contenders to sign Yamamoto, multiple rivals see one team in particular as the favorite: the New York Mets, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman in an article for the New York Post.
This comes after MLB Network insider Joel Sherman reported for the New York Post on Wednesday that one executive said the Mets were going to go “full bore” to sign Yamamoto and fellow Nippon Professional Baseball star pitcher Shōta Imanaga, among others.
The Mets have already added former Yankees starter Luis Severino to their rotation (and Joey Wendle to their infield), but they are in need of at least one more starting pitcher after trading Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer during the summer.
The Dodgers, Giants, Red Sox, Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals, D-backs and Tigers are all believed to be involved in the Yamamoto sweepstakes as well, according to Heyman.
Nov. 28: These two teams are prioritizing Yamamoto
The Red Sox and Giants both appear to be prepared to go big for Yamamoto.
Boston Globe reporter Alex Speier said Tuesday on MLB Network that he expects Boston to be “particularly invested in the Yamamoto sweepstakes.”
Speier said he thinks the Red Sox will be aggressive in upgrading their rotation, and cited Boston’s successful signing of Japanese starter Daisuke Matsuzaka in the 2006-07 offseason as a model for their strategy in pursuing Yamamoto.
But there will of course be many teams looking to sign the Japanese star. One other club that surfaced in rumors Tuesday was the Giants.
Nov. 27: Yamamoto ‘likely to take time with decision’ (report)
Yamamoto is arguably the top free-agent starting pitcher this offseason and has seen half of the league reach out to him, according to his agent Joel Wolfe. That extensive group of interested suitors could prolong Yamamoto’s signing timeline.
Based on the volume of interest, MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi reported that Yamamoto is “likely to take time with his decision.” Because Yamamoto is a 25-year-old frontline-caliber starter with a big market, Morosi believes that Yamamoto will be deliberate with his process. Yamamoto’s 45-day negotiating window opened on Nov. 21 and runs until 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 4, 2024.
Sources told SNY’s Andy Martino that Yamamoto would start meeting with MLB teams this week, with conversations being held via phone and Zoom while Yamamoto is in Japan.
