MLB Rumors: Mets used Shohei Ohtani against Dodgers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is holding up the free-agent market, but the train is finally moving. Yamamoto and his agent are set to receive contract offers from opposing teams soon. While they'll surely all be in the same ballpark, Yamamoto's choice will come down to location, marketability and potential to win a World Series.

The Mets don't offer much of an edge on the latter point, as they missed the playoffs in 2023. However, they are willing out-spend just about any team not just for Yamamoto, but in the future as well. Yamamoto is only 25 years old and he is the Mets prime target this winter. Cohen and Co. are willing to go to extreme lengths to acquire Yamamoto, even using the Shohei Ohtani signing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who remain in the chase for the Japanese ace.

"When stacked up against the Dodgers, the Mets have tried to sell Yamamoto, according to a source, on the idea he wouldn’t have to reside in Shohei Ohtani’s shadow in Los Angeles and could forge his own identity on the East Coast," Jon Heyman of The New York Post wrote.

MLB Rumors: Mets use Shohei Ohtani argument to sway Yoshinobu Yamamoto away from Dodgers

With Ohtani already in tow, the Mets have argued that Yamamoto will play second fiddle, not only as a secondary Asian baseball star, but face of the franchise as well. No one is beating out Ohtani for those roles.

The same can be used to argue against the Yankees, to some extent. The Yankees aren't pushing aside Aaron Judge as face of the franchise, or even Gerrit Cole as ace of their starting rotation. With the Mets, for better or worse, Yamamoto would lead the pitching staff with Kodai Senga just behind him, and Edwin Diaz as the high-priced, dominant closer in the bullpen.

Frankly, the Mets pitch suggests they have some ground to make up on the Dodgers and Yankees, which is why they're willing to get their hands dirty in the first place. Neither Andrew Friedman nor Brian Cashman need to sink that low, for now.