Yoshinobu Yamamoto met with the Mets and Yankees again this weekend
Yoshinobu Yamamoto met with the Mets and Yankees again this weekend
This is the second meeting between the Japanese ace and the two clubs in New York
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
Yoshinobu Yamamoto had dinner with David Stearns, Carlos Mendoza, and Jeremy Hefner along with Steve Cohen and his wife at the owner’s house as the organization continues to try and sign the ace, and then asked for a meeting with the Yankees on Sunday (New York Post)
No formal offer was made but things are expected to heat up with Yamamoto in the United States this week (SNY)
The one thing the Mets have going for them in the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes… ✍️
Outside of superstar Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the hottest name on the free agent market this winter. And so far, Steve Cohen has made it no secret the Mets are heavily interested in the Japanese star’s talents.
First, he flew to Japan to meet with the ace before the winter meetings, then it was reported by SNY that he dined with Yamamoto along with his wife, David Stearns, Carlos Mendoza and Jeremy Hefner in his Connecticut home on Saturday night.
He’s making a max effort to woo Yamamoto, doing everything he can to convince him to join the Mets when its decision-making time, presumably within the next week or so.
In addition, Yamamoto requested a second meeting with the Yankees, which took place on Sunday.
In addition to the Mets and Yankees, there are other teams vying for Yamamoto, namely the Dodgers who bought star power in Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman to their meeting last week at Dodger Stadium. The Red Sox and Phillies reportedly met with Yamamoto in LA as well, but it remains to be seen if any of these three teams will meet with Yamamoto again.
But there is one thing Cohen has that no other team can compete with against the Mets.
Steve Cohen’s absurd wealth.
Yes, every owner can afford every free agent but Cohen can top any offer and then some. But if Steve Cohen wants a player, and he knows the Mets need a player like Yamamoto, he has the ability to outbid all of the competition for that player.
The question is, in this case, will Cohen go above and beyond with an offer for Yamamoto? Would that be enough to lure him away from teams like the Dodgers and Yankees and their iconic stature? If so, would Yamamoto be willing to exercise a little more patience while Steve Cohen builds this thing up in Flushing?
For a free agent looking for a lucrative deal, money talks. The Met name does not have the same cachet as the Dodgers or Yankees, so until that changes money will have to do the talking.
As for Yamamoto, if he wants to get paid the most, he will choose the Mets. If there are other factors he values more, than he will sign elsewhere but in this case it can’t be said the Mets didn’t try. Until they are able to change their reputation and become THE destination in Major League Baseball for top tier free agents, having an involved owner can only help.
All that is left is to wait which, as the great Tom Petty said, is the hardest part.
Hot Stove 🔥
The Diamondbacks re-signed Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to a three-year deal worth $42 million with a club option for a fourth season
The Twins are reportedly listening to offers on both Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco (MLB Network)
The Blue Jays are interested in acquiring Jonathan India from the Reds (Bob Elliott)