MLB Rumors: Realistic Yoshinobu Yamamoto contract offers for every interested team

The peripheral contenders for Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Red Sox, Phillies

The Red Sox and Phillies are both east-coast contenders not located in New York, which probably hurts their cases. Los Angeles is the ideal American residential hub for someone who plans to spend his offseasons in Japan. New York is New York — the major stage Yamamoto covets, and far removed from Ohtani's long shadow on the west coast.

Still, both Boston and Philadelphia can offer Yamamoto the chance to suit up for prestigeous franchises with a chance to compete for the World Series. The Phillies in particular are back-to-back NLCS participants with the offensive firepower to win the NL East. Boston boasts a pitcher-friendly ballpark with a long history of greats on the mound. Pedro Martinez would be proud.

Red Sox predicted offer: 9 years, $324 million

This would tie the Yankees' record-breaking contract for Gerrit Cole, the highest total ever for a pitcher (not including Ohtani, who also hits). Boston has an upstart ace in Brayan Bello and Chris Sale can still bring it, but neither profiles as a reliable top ace for a 2024 postseason push. Bello gives up too many hard hits, while Sale is starting to tango with Father Time.

Slotting Yamamoto in the No. 1 spot, or at least as the sooner-than-later successor to Sale, would quell a lot of concerns about Boston's present outlook. New CBO Craig Breslow hasn't done nearly enough to improve the roster after 2023's last-place finish, however, and Yamamoto can probably find comparable offers in a less competitive division, or with a more competitive team.

The Red Sox have been described as "heavily involved" in the Yamamoto process, but at the moment, it feels like a distant possibility.

Phillies predicted offer: 10 years, $350 million

Philadelphia's front office has been unafraid of major financial gambles in recent years. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto, and Aaron Nola are all locked up on significant contracts. That could work against Philadelphia, to some degree. The buck has to stop somewhere, literally. On the other hand, all reports paint the Phillies as seriously interested in Yamamoto.

Of couse, that doesn't mean Yamamoto is seriously interested in the Phillies. A FaceTime call from Harper doesn't carry the same weight as a stadium tour with Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. That's the frank, undeniable truth. The Phillies are arguably positioned as the Dodgers' greatest threat in the National League, but Philly is also the smallest market here with the most controversial fanbase. Not everybody is keen to play in front of such a demanding crowd, even if the reward is often spectacular.