Aug 4, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team Japan pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (17) throws against Korea in a baseball semifinal match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
If the Mets or Yankees are going to come away with the signature of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it’s likely going to cost significantly more than initially expected.
A bidding war appears to be underway for the 25-year-old right-handed ace as he prepares to make the jump from Japan to North America — a plethora of suitors already lining up ready to offer some major money.
According to CBS Sports and The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, both the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox have put forth offers that are “more than” $300 million. Initial forecasts suggested that Yamamoto would make north of $200 million over an approximate eight-year contract.
The Giants, who signed highly-touted KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee last week, have been big-game hunting for the last few seasons, though they have largely come away empty. They made a big run at Aaron Judge but couldn’t lure him away from the Yankees and saw a mega-deal for star shortstop Carlos Correa fall through due to issues with his medicals.
Boston’s starting rotation needs a complete revamp given the injury issues of Chris Sale that robbed him and the Red Sox of the back-end of his prime seasons. For a team that had traded away Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts in recent seasons, an infusion of star power is necessary in the vaunted AL East.
It remains to be seen if the jump in expected price would dissuade either the Mets or the Yankees from their seemingly all-out pursuit of Yamamoto, but recent track history would suggest it would impact the Yankees more than the Mets.
The Yankees’ acquisition of Juan Soto ahead of his walk year means they’ll have to shell out big money to keep him in the Bronx for the long haul even if they need a legitimate No. 2…
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