Report: 2 teams viewed as joint favorites for Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Aug 4, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team Japan pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (17) reacts 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

With Shohei Ohtani signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the next big name to come off the board will likely be star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is still in the process of meeting with organizations, but a report suggests that two teams have established themselves as joint favorites to land him. The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are viewed as Yamamoto’s most likely landing spots, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman goes on to note that seven teams are still believed to be in the running, including the New York Mets.

The Yankees have been after Yamamoto for some time, and there are some suggestions that they have been targeting him for over a year. Failing to land him would be a big blow to their offseason plans, even though they have already traded for Juan Soto. The Dodgers, of course, have already signed Shohei Ohtani, which may be a valuable recruiting tool in this race.

The Mets have also made a real push for Yamamoto, but it sounds like they have some work to do to convince him.

Notably, the report also states that the price to sign Yamamoto may be on the rise. The pitcher was expected to land at least a $200 million contract, but the price may be as high as $300 million now.

Yamamoto posted a 1.82 ERA across seven seasons in Japan’s NPB and is regarded as one of the country’s most talented pitchers in recent memory.