The Chicago Cubs are reportedly out on the bidding for Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, according to a report from The Athletic. Will Sammon reported earlier the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and the Mets, plus two more unidentified clubs are in on Yamamoto.\
“Yoshinobu Yamamoto has generated so much interest from both New York teams and other big-market franchises that the Cubs are not expected to proceed in those high-stakes negotiations,” Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma wrote.
According to Jim Bowden, Yamamoto’s deal is expected to reach somewhere around $300 million. That deal would place him in the realm of being one of the highest-paid pitchers in all of baseball.
It was once reported the Cubs were among the favorites to land the right-hander. But as the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes drag on, teams are seemingly starting to move onto other free agents. Yamamoto’s contract could be viewed as a daunting path to take, too. He’s never pitched in MLB.
Yamamoto, 25, is one of the hottest commodities on the MLB free agency market this offseason. He’s pitched in Japan on the Forgein level and in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. All-encompassed, he holds a 1.72 ERA over nearly 1,000 innings pitched.
He turned heads during the World Baseball Classic, proving to be one of the best pitchers in the tournament. With tournament champion Team Japan, he pitched 7.1 innings and held a 2.45 ERA. He struck out 12 batters and allowed a blistering .160 batting average to his opponents, putting himself among the league’s best.
The Cubs have been attached to several starting pitchers this offseason. And for good reason. They finished 14th in MLB last season for pitching staff ERA. They’re also seemingly losing Marcus Stroman, who finished with a 3.95 ERA, from their rotation, too.
Of course, they’re in on the Ohtani sweepstakes. From the report, it seems the Cubs are still interested in trading for Glasnow, without the inclusion of Christopher Morel in a hypothetical trade. They also have Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga “on their radar,” according to Mooney and Sharma.
But, to give a pitcher who’s never pitched in the major leagues $300 million screams buyers beware. The Cubs have priorities. But their disinterest in Yamamoto begs the question — what will they do in an Ohtani-less world?
With the pursuit for Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto heating up, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns confirmed that he and owner Steve Cohen met with Yamamoto and his family last week in Japan.
“We met with Yoshinobu and his group and his family,” Stearns said at the Winter Meetings. “It was a great meeting. Clearly, when you’re in the middle of a big free agent pursuit, every club is gonna meet with him. This likely shouldn’t be shocking news, but I understand that when stuff like this gets out, it’s newsworthy. So yes, we met with him. It was a good meeting.”
As far as Yamamoto’s potential timetable — he has until Jan. 4 to sign with an MLB club — Stearns said he was unsure when that decision would come.
And when asked whether Kodai Senga was with Stearns and Cohen for their meeting with Yamamoto, Stearns would not confirm or deny.
As the Mets battle the Yankees and other teams for Yamamoto, they will have to lay out their pitch. But Stearns said he looks at it as more of an ability to provide information than a sales pitch.
“I try not to look at it as selling, and I try to look at it as providing information about who we are as an organization, and what we want to do, and what we want to become,” he explained. “This is a big decision for any free agent — where to sign. And they deserve to have all the information. They deserve to make the most informed decision, and the right decision, for them and their family.”
Yamamoto, whose contract might wind up near $300 million, could be an ace immediately upon his arrival in the majors, something that was obviously not lost on Stearns when asked why the interest from the Mets and the rest of the league was so strong.
“He’s a potential front-end starter, and he’s proven that at a high level,” Stearns said. “And that’s why there’s a lot of teams in the industry who like him.”
Stearns also discussed Cohen’s involvement in the process, noting that “it demonstrates Steve’s commitment to do everything he possibly can to bring players to New York.”
As the Mets wait to see whether they’ll land Yamamoto, Stearns said they’re prepared for any eventuality. And he’s ready to “go down an alternate path if needed.”
SNY’s Andy Martino reported earlier on Wednesday that if the Mets miss out on Yamamoto, they will pursue a different frontline starter. That could be Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, but most likely won’t be Eduardo Rodriguez, whose decision on where to sign is reportedly imminent.
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