AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko
Japanese starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is arguably the most-coveted player still available in MLB free agency, is reportedly slated to remain busy as he moves closer toward his decision.
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Yamamoto is scheduled to meet with the Boston Red Sox “in the coming days,” and he is likely to meet with two or more teams after that as well, including the Toronto Blue Jays.
Feinsand noted that Yamamoto already met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, and Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reported Monday that the Los Angeles Dodgers are targeting Yamamoto.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto has starred in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league since 2017 for the Orix Buffaloes, and he established himself as the most dominant hurler in the league during that time.
In 172 career NBP games, Yamamoto went 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 922 strikeouts over 897 innings pitched.
He was also a five-time All-Star, three-time MVP, three-time pitching Triple Crown winner, three-time Golden Glove Award winner and one-time Japan Series champion
Given his combination of production and youth, it comes as no surprise that Yamamoto is so coveted among the big-market teams in Major League Baseball.
The Red Sox have gone 78-84, missed the playoffs and finished in last place in the AL East in each of the past two seasons, and pitching woes have arguably been the biggest reason why.
Boston ranked 21st in MLB with a 4.52 ERA last season, plus it allowed the seventh-highest batting average to opposing hitters, and the seventh-most home runs.
As of now, the Red Sox are in line to return most of the same starting rotation as they had last season, including Chris Sale, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck.
That likely won’t be good enough to vie for a division title or even a playoff spot in arguably the deepest and most competitive division in baseball in the American League East.
However, signing Yamamoto would give the Red Sox a formidable top of the rotation with Yamamoto, Sale and Bello, and it would perhaps tighten things up in the AL East.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, they are in direct competition with some of the most prestigious and free-spending teams in baseball when it comes to attempting to sign Yamamoto.
If the Red Sox lose out on Yamamoto to a team like the Yankees, Mets or Dodgers, they may have to turn their attention to a former AL East adversary.
Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who also won an AL Cy Young with the Tampa Bay Rays, is by far the best starter available aside from Yamamoto, and former Yankees hurler Jordan Montgomery is in that discussion as well.
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