MLB Rumors: Mike Trout regret, Mets in on Japanese phenom, Red Sox bummer
- Mike Trout regrets returning from IL
- Mets have advantage with coveted Japanese ace
- Red Sox favorite looks unlikely to come back
MLB Rumors: Mets in on Japanese phenom
Shohei Ohtani isn't the only Japanese pitcher who will create a free agency stir this offseason. It already looks like competition to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be fierce and the New York Mets could be in the thick of it.
Yamamoto is a 25-year-old pitcher in the NPB who is expected to be posted for MLB teams to sign later this year. As a two-time MVP in the Japanese league, he's a big fish on the market.
New York was one of no less than 10 MLB teams that sent scouts to watch the pitcher make his start for the Orix Buffaloes on Wednesday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
The Mets are an intriguing option for Yamamoto, who apparently turned heads with seven scoreless innings on the mound in that outing. They have already had success with the signing of Kodai Senga from Japan ahead of this season. Senga got an All-Star in his debut campaign this year.
Having a fellow countryman like Senga in Queens could give Yamamoto a sense of familiarity, making it more likely for him to agree to join the Mets.