Who Needs to Win The Yoshinobu Yamamoto Sweepstakes?
The race for Yoshinobu Yamamoto is heating up. MLB insider Jim Bowden reported Saturday the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox are making a “strong push” for the 25-year-old. Both teams have reportedly sent $300 million dollar offers to Yamamoto. Amongst the Red Sox and Giants; are teams such as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies having reported interest in Yamamoto.
Right now, any of these teams listed can land Yamamoto. With how the bidding looks that final number could be heading well north of 300 million dollars. Boston appears to be the “perfect fit” if they lock down Yamamoto to a deal or at least the biggest benefactors. Yamamoto’s camp may be smartly playing the long game, playing teams off each other to get the best deal.
Boston Needs Yamamoto:
The Red Sox’s top target has been Yamamoto for some time. Pitching is in the biggest need of help for a team with back-to-back last-place finishes. With the AL East getting even stronger with Juan Soto now on the Yankees.
Boston is in desperate need of a splash or could face three peating with another last-place finish. If it’s serious about competing they cannot allow Yamamoto to go anywhere else. While the Giants are virtually in the same boat as Boston in terms of the blockbuster move. I can see San Francisco getting their man in the trade market, such as Corbin Burnes.
Yamamoto for the Red Sox would be the savior for the rotation, while that is my hope until there’s pen to paper that’s all there is right now. Teams listed and not listed as “in on” Yoshinobu Yamamoto have as good reason as any to get him. From a fan perspective, if the Red Sox don’t land him, it will be a failure of an offseason if there’s not a good plan afterward. Likewise, it would be a home run move if Craig Breslow and company can pull that off.
Looking Ahead:
Until Yamamoto signs, free agency for the bigger names like Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger and others is in a grace period with most teams in the running.
This is not a bad thing because the teams that lose the Yamamoto sweepstakes will push even harder to land some of those players as a backup plan driving up their prices more in the long run. Yamamoto will cost a ton, as he should, being one of the best pitchers coming out of Japan with plus stuff, and most importantly only going into his age 25 season, turning 26 in August.
Coming into MLB with the expectation to be one of the very best out the gate with the contract to back that up. Wherever Yoshinobu Yamamoto lands he will be worth every penny of that potentially decade-long and $300+ million dollar deal.
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