While the baseball world awaits movement on Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto has emerged as the #3 name on the offseason market. The right-hander is the most popular starting pitcher in free agency and has been tied to virtually every big spender (and a few less traditional suitors).
Will Sammon of the Athletic reports that seven teams have stepped forward as the key players in the Yamamoto bidding. That group includes (listed alphabetically) the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, Mets and Yankees. Two other “mystery teams” are also involved.
None of those teams come as a surprise. They’ve all previously been linked to Yamamoto, while a few have openly discussed him as a target. Mets owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns recently flew to Japan to sit down with the 25-year-old righty. Yamamoto will make his own trip this weekend, when he’s scheduled to come to the U.S. to chat with interested teams.
At the beginning of the offseason, MLBTR predicted a nine-year, $225MM contract. It seems that could end up being light. In an appearance on Foul Territory yesterday, Ken Rosenthal noted there’s a general expectation that Yamamoto’s deal will land “considerably higher” than $200MM.
Yamamoto is coming off a third consecutive Sawamura award as Japan’s top pitcher. He turned in a 1.21 ERA over 164 innings while striking out 169 batters. Evaluators are nearly unanimous in projecting Yamamoto as at least a #2 caliber starter in the majors with a shot to be an ace. Between that dominance and nearly unprecedented youth for a free agent pitcher, he’s one of the most appealing in recent history.
That has made him a target for virtually all the big-market clubs. It stands to reason the Jays’ interest is contingent on Ohtani’s decision. (Toronto general manager Ross Atkins told reporters this week they didn’t plan to add two players from the top of the market.) The Giants and Dodgers are also believed to remain in the race for Ohtani, who could sign in the next few days. The Yankees are reportedly on the verge of acquiring Soto but still seem to be engaged on Yamamoto, while the Mets have made no secret of the fact that Yamamoto is their top offseason priority.
Your guess as good as any where he picks. $ will be there. Could well come down to how he clicks with org. in face to faces
My guess with every free agent is to wherever they can make the most $. I am right I would say 97 percent of the time. The asian community, coast preference, where wife is from, where they grew up or went to college etc etc matters only if the $ isn’t significantly more.
Harper and his 10 year for $250mm took less money to go to Philly. It’s ignorant to think he couldn’t have gotten the same money as Machado.
What interests me is how each team approaches a meeting as big as this. How much can they know about Shoei, and what is he MOST interested in?
Someone should write a book just about this quest (If Shoei allows them to) so it includes all the teams, the psychology on both sides, why they picked cetrain venues in which to have the meetings and who the club wanted involved or not involved, and why.
Harper got 13 330 so yes it’s ignorant to think he couldn’t have gotten the same money as Machado.
You simply ask the player their interests. Their agent can guide them to what teams are worth having a meeting with.
@Pete’sView: Wrong thread. This is about Yamamoto, not Ohtani.
Yeah, that’s pretty easy to figure out. But I’m talking the details, not what fans like us already can assume.
@Pete’sView: If it’s so easy to figure out, why were you talking about Ohtani?
Doesn’t sound like a best seller book nor does it sound like Ohtani would be interested in it getting out.
You must live a lonely life
Boras’ sure to be released after retirement book would be fascinating.
Boras book should do well.
I think avid baseball fans would eat it up. And, after the fact, unless there’s something negative about Shoei, I don’t see why he would object.
13 year $330 million.
The Jays are in the mix. Good to see.
Let me know when you cut that down to 2 teams…
Ahh…the “mystery teams” have entered the fray.
Miami looking at trading pitching today………..reel ’em in, Fish.
These Winter Meetings is why MLB is becoming less and less relevant. They have a chance to gain a little spotlight for themselves in the offseason by actually making big trades and signing big name players. Instead, they just exchange Christmas cards and call it a day. It’s sad for the true baseball fans who look forward to these meetings, all to get Craig Kimbrel as the big signing and an Alex Verdugo trade. Truly is sad to see.
That is where the NFL, NBA and even NHL have MLB beat. When free agency hits in those leagues the moves are fast and furious wheras in Baseball we’ve had star players that held out til spring training to finally sign on more than one occasion
Boring as crap. Why rush it? Better to spread the interest out over a few months. The other sports free agencies and off seasons are a real snooze
That’s because of the salary cap
01Scamp I think you’re utilizing performative outrage here. The Winter Meetings haven’t been MUST-SEE-TV like ever. They aren’t usually as slow as this one , but not much more speedy. It’s the offseason…It’s only geared for the true believer baseball geeks. Baseball isn’t losing anything here, normies wouldn’t be tuning in anyway.
Well, I’m willing to bet those mystery teams are not the Long Island Ducks and the Staten Island FerryHawks.
if the teams are listed in alphabetical order… seems Mystery Team #1 and Mystery Team #2 should be listed ahead of the Yankees. Maybe the mystery teams are from the new Middle East Baseball United league. Some sovereign fund money being spread around. Betcha Yamamoto has a better year than Jair Jurrgans will have with the Wolves.
I know who one of the mystery teams is. But if I tell, Shohei Ohtani will hold it against me. So I’m not going to say anything…
You dare speak of this on the traderumor? No bat for you!
Yo breslow!! You back from vacation yet??!!
Right?? Whole point of getting rid of Bloom was to be willing to make big moves and shake things up. When are we gonna see it?
I think this is all on John Henry. He just fired Bloom to make himself look good.
Bloom did EXACTLY what John Henry hired him to do, be a scapegoat. Henry has no interest on spending to win anymore, and as long as dumb fans continue to sell out Fenway every night he is not going to spend. Henry is more concerned with being a social justice warrior than he is winning baseball games. Breslow will last for 3 years and Henry will sell the team.
Maybe the Sox are one of the “mystery teams”
Red Sox should be in on this in a very public and high profile way. The fact that thy are not tells me that Henry is the problem. Also, Verdugo was a SALARY DUMP!
Mystery teams: high A Bristol dumpwaters and independent league team Baxter left-handed lobsters
Lobsters have hands, too? We’re all doomed!
Angels and Cubs are my mystery team picks.
Cubs yes, but the Angels are a stretch. There’s not way they stretch their salary for anyone but Ohtani. They aren’t cheap, but they are stupid.
Cubs and Reds
What an absolutely useless report. Only 7 teams emerge as top suitors? That’s almost 1/4 of the league… including 2 mystery teams? So literally every single team is still considered top suitors because anybody could be the mystery teams.
Seriously? Lol
I am sure if you put your mind to it and work really hard you could eliminate a team or two.
Will be interesting to see if the Yankees get Yamamoto then have to figure out how to pay Soto afterwards. Would be far more interesting if the Giants shock the world by getting Ohtani AND Yamamoto but that’s most certainly a dream for Giants fans.
I would prefer Yamamoto thanks. Not so interested in paying a DH 50 million a year in five years. Not to mention that the Angels have proved not one player can do it, or two, it takes a team and the Giants don’t have that right now.
Yamamoto has great stuff, but has 0 MLB innings. There’s a small chance he’s a gigantic bust. Soto is a proven commodity.
Certainly a dream. I think they are trying hard to realise it though. Bob gave it a “1 or 2” when talking about the need for stars yesterday. Johnson said they would be prepared to exceed the threshold for a year if the right players were there. The books are all but clear in 25. I think it’s the dream they are chasing.
Yankees sign Yamamota, and then have to trade Soto to cut payroll level!
And then we wake up to Lugo and Bader.
The Yankees now desperately need this guy after giving up the future in the system. for Soto, if rumors hold true.
It doesn’t make sense for any team not to be in on him unless Yamamoto himself isn’t interested. 25 year old stud starter. EVERY team should be offering a competitive contract. If they aren’t, they aren’t trying.
No reason for the A’s, Royals and Rox to be involved. He wouldn’t raise them to a .500 team.
And Reinsdorf would have a heart attack signing off on the White Sox’ end of that big a deal.
*Early reaction* but this off-season is making me believe the John Henry penny pinching narrative. Bloom is looking like a fall guy, seems as if Red Sox are conducting business just as we have the past 4 years.
Yep, the World Series ended in October, and its been like 4 whole weeks since players became FAs. Get your pitchforks fellow Bosox fans!
This article says the Red Sox are not one of the top 5 teams. They are not a “mystery” team. They are not in it. Nothing has changed. They could have kept Bloom.
Arizona Mystery Team
Verdugo. Now Soto.. hopefully Yamamoto…. Any other players the Yankees can acquire ending in o?
I say they still need a 3b, so…Jeimer Candelario!
High ho Candelario! Yanks acquire an O!
Gallo lol
Giants would give you Conforto really cheap.
And we’ll toss in Hanigero and Striplingo.
And Boston said,”they were going all in.”! I thought Bloom got fired!
Yeah, but look at all their great “prospects.”
Dave Roberts just held a press conference to announce who the mystery teams were. He also revealed who shot JFK.
You mean we now know which of the CIA’s shooters was responsible?
check new york magazine 11/9 issue for some good Oswald/CIA revelations
You don’t get jokes often do you
I hope that dumb move by Roberts he’s the Dodgers knocked out of the running for Ohtani. I doubt it will come back to bite the bums from LA.
Lyndon Johnson
Not as much hype as Dice-K, but Boston has won this race before.
Think 10/250 does it?
Yet he’s so much better than dice k
Red Sox? Maybe.
Does Yamamoto throw the dreaded gyro ball??
More like 10/285.00 could go higher. Sure to be a bidding war. If that’s the case the Sox will fold.
SFG 10/250
Thirty Teams Emerge As Top Suitors For Yamamoto **fixed
Here we go! “Two other “mystery teams” are also involved.” and the winning team will be…. the mystery team!
Thank you to all the known team fans who read Anthony Franco’s article and made his owner money!
It’s no mystery to anyone in baseball who the mystery teams are.
Share
Pirates and who else?
Get your guesses in and I will tell you if you get them. I got 3 but one is just a educated guess.
Padres?
All of those could have interest and scouted him but Cubs definitely do. Rangers scouted him hard. Angels are my wild card if they don’t get Ohtani.
Orioles spending that much $ doesn’t seem likely. Washington likes their deferrals. Padres bit off more than they could chew and are trying to get back to a sustainable budget. Haven’t heard any of those 3 being strong contenders and those are the reasons why. Could be keeping it close to the vest I guess.
Two other teams Boston Philly had interest. It wasn’t a mystery at all so I take it they out now? I didn’t think of them as favorites and sounds like Philly isn’t hot for him since signing Nola but haven’t heard anything that Boston is out.
So what else does that tell you? Unless the team you work for or you have a inside source for a team that is in serious negotiations with moto you will only know the cubs are out. Reporters only know what teams want them to know. But what every front office should know is that moto $ has surpassed 200m. Cubs have signed plenty of 100 to 200m guys. 200 300m not so much. Can’t know for sure but it’s easy to put 2 and 2 together and get a likely reason that I team that scouted him hard is now out.
With most Japanese mega stars I will always have a NY or California team as favorites. I would just say LA since SD seems to have maxed out but SF really wants and needs a big splash star. Ohtani a position player would be night and day better but right now they just need a splash. If Soto and Ohtani are out then it’s either moto or beli.
Cards are long shot, but one can be hopeful. Or Thompson/ liberatore need to step up in some capacity.
The mariners are in on absolutely NOBODY smh. Canzone, haggerty, and marlowe will all be in the opening day lineuo.
Reminds me of the Mets lineup a few years ago: Alonso, Cano, Conforto, Nimmo, Rosario, and, depending on the catcher of the day, Nido.
Padres will use the Soto money to get Yamamoto and Yankees will get the assist.
He’s going to look great wearing an Olde English ‘D’.
Go Tigers!
Spend that Miggy money!!!
That’s the headline that will make the offseason a success!
Red Sux are involved too. Was previously stated. Not a mystery.
I rather sign him over Ohtani.
Odd the red sox arent mentioned as they previously were reported as very heavy on him guess that was just more people making things up for clicks
There is absolutely zero reason the Red Sox should not be in there head first. @John Henry spend some money on good players
They are. Someone wrote about it earlier this week. They’re not sneaky.
Mystery team could be Texas they have not been mentioned, so that would be a mystery.
I think this will come down to a bidding war between Yankees and Mets, and Cohen has some really deep pockets.
The problem is, at the bottom of those deep pockets are lint, a dirty cough drop, and a manner that would persuade no one. He’s like the Jill Stein of owners. If you weren’t already going there, s/he wouldn’t be able to persuade you.
Won’t be a bidding war. Mets will always win there. It’s just a case of whether he really cares mostly about the pay check and actually wants to play in Queens.
One mystery team is my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates! I opened my future cookie and it told me, “Strangest things have happened”! That is the call sign Old Bob is splurging into the top free agency this offseason.
Hehe, I said a funny lol
I’ve heard it’s a package deal. Ohtani is coming, too
Nothing more mysterious than Kansas City….always a mystery what they’re thinking.
If Steve Cohen met with Yamamoto, it’s difficult to see that as a plus.
SFG 10/275
Giants will be all over this
Every Boston outlet including the club have said they are in on Yam. Maybe they are the not so mysterious “mystery” team.
Please be the reds, I know they won’t get him but it would be nice to know they tried!
Why is it that American players must go thru a draft and make a designated amount of money and foreign players have no draft and can make millions more than American players?
Players go through team control processes in Japan as well. I’m not 100% familiar with them.
Regarding the posting system – if a player, like Ohtani, comes over early in their career they still are subject to the pre-arbitration and arbitration salary process. He earned less than a million dollars each of his first three seasons in America. If he had waited two years, he would have come over as an unrestricted free agent.
Yamamoto already has enough service time to be a free agent, so he can sign with anyone.
Japanese players have to wait 9 years for free agency.
Cohen will outbid everyone here. So my money would be on the Mets unless location really matters.
He might..but not because hes the richest owner in mlb…rogers communications for example is worth alot more than uncle steve..21 billion vs steves 14 bn
MLBs next team name must be “The Mystery” just to end the whole Mystery team speak these agents have. Their mascot can be Sherlock Holmes
London Mysteries. Mascot named Sherlock. GM named Watson.
I literally just cancelled my pass to The Athletic and MLBTR after this past week of repetitive click bait that hasn’t changed since November 1st “Mystery Team”
Yankees have Hideki Matsui make one phone call. Ichiro is a baseball God in Japan. Matsui is THE baseball God in Japan. He describes what its like to win a WS in NYC. Annnnnd…would you kindly hand him the pen? Thank You.
Simply no parity in baseball
Uhhhh? Rangers and Dbacks played in the world series this year…
Reds could offer him 10/250 mil. I mean, they just finished up one longterm contract why not starter another?
Was Yamamoto pitching every 6 days in Japan, like Ohtani? Its either go to a six man, or risk TJ in year two of the contract, after the heavier work load.
Happy Arson Judge day Giants fans!
Ha ha. Respect for originality.
So it was only 12months ago that I got admitted to the local mental health facility.
Red Sox had him as a priority for weeks and now they are out??
Ohtani is probably holding everything up.
Weren’t the Red Sox involved?
Boston lurking… then boom..
Yamamoto to the Mets; Ohtani to the Dodgers.
So the A’s are out then?
I am more interested in where Naoyuki Uwasawa goes. We don’t hear much about him at the moment, but I understand the Orioles are trying to steal him for $2-3M per year. That would be a real coup if they pull that off, he is pretty good.
Feeling vindicated in my position that Boston’s interest in signing Yamamoto was never a very serious one. Breslow’s just posturing for the fanbase. Not sure if that’s a Henry problem or what, but I suspect it’s going to be a long offseason of “trust us, we explored every possibility on the trade market… we just didn’t think anyone was all that good!”
If the cheap ass Giants sign Ohtani AND Yamamoto it will be a shocker.
Isn’t it possible Ohtani could aggravate his UCL injury with a throw from the outfield or will he simply be used as a DH?
DH
He could possibly aggravate the UCL injury as a fulltime DH. Nothing is guaranteed.
Is Lux for Adames a rumor?
I really hope the Giants are able to sign him, but my guess is he winds up with one of the dang NY teams.