The clock is now ticking to see what Japanese phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto will sign with this
off-season. This season in Japan, Yamamoto had a season to remember, posting a 1.21 E.R.A.
with 16 wins, six losses, and 169 strikeouts in 23 starts. The stats say it all,
Yamamoto is a special pitcher and will be a problem to other teams that pass up on him in free
agency.
So far, only three ball clubs are heavily trying to pursue the 24-year-old: the New York Mets, the
New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. These three teams all have one thing in
common: money. There is no question that Yamamoto is going to obtain a heavy paycheck for
$150 million minimum, but what best fits Yamamoto’s future? Here are the pros and
cons of each team that is in the run for the Japanese phenom.
Yankees Pro: Center stage already. The Yankees are very big on giving all the attention to top
players becoming franchise pieces to their team. Gerrit Cole, who recently won the CY Young
award, fit in; Aaron Judge became a star in his first year and is now captain and possibly
Yamamoto is ready for the attention. He was already treated with so much respect in Japan, that
he believes that it will be the same with the pinstripes.
Yankees Cons: The fanbase and home stadium. The Yankees are known to be a very tough
fanbase to get used to. One of the most passionate fanbases, and all they want to see is their team
win every year. If a player struggles, the player will not hear the end of it from the fans. Another
thing is the stadium. Yankee Stadium is known to be a great stadium for visitors to play at,
mainly due to the short porches in the left and right fields. Yamamoto is known to throw some
heat and visitors are prepared to go opposite every time. In Coles's first couple of seasons with
the Yankees, he struggled with the long ball, which could be another tough situation for
Yamamoto.
Mets Pros: Kodai Senga and Steve Cohen. Coming to the Mets would be a big opportunity for
Yamamoto to reunite with his former teammate and friend Kodai Senga. Senga even told the
Mets front office to push hard on getting Yamamoto before the season ended, so Senga wants
this to happen. Another big reason would be the owner who likes to give big players big
paychecks. Cohen would top any contract a free agent would get as many fans would say that he
is “spending money like it is a video game.”
Mets Con: The franchise is in rebuilding mode. The Mets had a horrible 2023 season and traded
all their pieces, including Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, David Robertson, and Tommy Pham, to
get future pieces. It is now a question mark to see what the plan for this Mets team is. Now, with
the hiring of Carlos Mendoza and David Sterns taking over, this team is still in contention to win.
Yamamoto also did say that he wants to be a part of a contender. The Mets were the favorite to
sign him, but will they be prepared to sign more pieces to become a winning culture again?
Dodgers Pro: Great pitching staff. Each off-season the Dodgers pull off the biggest surprise in
baseball and obtain a player, whom no one expects them to be stats, to become the top player for
their team. In 2016 Kenta Maeda got third place in the Rookie of the Year voting, and Zack Greinke
2015 had a 1.66 E.R.A., and recently Tyler Goslin had a 2.14 E.R.A. in the 2021 season. The
Dodgers know how to deal with pitchers, Yamamoto will fit in perfectly in this rotation and play
at a high level.
Dodgers Con: Shohei Ohtani. The Dodgers are hoping to get another massive piece on their team
this off-season, after losing Trea Turner last off-season and Corey Seager two off-seasons ago,
the Dodgers are due for a massive signing. The only problem is it will come down to one of the
two players they are pushing for. It seems likely that Ohtani will be leaving the Angels and the
Dodgers are willing to overpay big-time. If the Dodgers have an opportunity on Ohtani, they
would. Missing out on their chances on Yamamoto. If, however, Ohtani goes somewhere else,
the Dodgers number one focus is Yamamoto, especially with their franchise player and future
Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is out for the beginning of the season.
Yamamoto is going to be posted later this month, and many believe he will sign before the winter
meetings. It will now be a waiting game to see what uniform he is going to wear next season and
for many years to come.
Comentários