Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s market continues to heat up with the teams possessing the most monetary value in Major League Baseball pursuing the right-handed pitcher.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, citing sources, the San Francisco Giants met with Yamamoto on Sunday.
Source: The Giants met yesterday with pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He's got a lot of big market teams bidding for his services.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 11, 2023
This isn’t too surprising as the Giants were rumored to have high interest in Shohei Ohtani before he agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team also was waiting either way for the free-agent dominos to fall before pursuing Yamamoto.
Yamamoto is expected to land the biggest contract of any free-agent pitcher this offseason.
It had been reported by The New York Post’s Jon Heyman that there could be a $300 million price tag to sign Yamamoto. He also said that teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, who don’t truly need any more starting pitching, are looking at the Japanese star.
The New York Yankees, confirmed by manager Aaron Boone during winter meetings, also had plans to meet with Yamamoto. The Mets also are believed to be courting him.
Across seven seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball, the 25-year-old boasted a 1.72 ERA tallying 986 strikeouts in 967 and 2/3 innings. In 2023 alone he possessed an 0.88 WHIP in 23 starts for the Orix Buffaloes. Scouting reports have noted his aptitude, power, feel, and the deceptive way he pitches.
About Jessica Kleinschmidt
Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.