MLB rumors: Yankees have Bellinger concern, Yamamoto timeline, Ohtani contract twist shut down
- Shohei Ohtani definitely won't sign a short-term contract
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto's free agency timeline emerges
- Yankees concerned about Cody Bellinger indicator
MLB Rumors: Yoshinobu Yamamoto free agency timeline cemented
Behind Ohtani, the most sought-after free agent in the MLB will be Japanese hurler Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is expected to command a contract in excess of $200 million. He was recently posted by his NPB team, the Orix Buffaloes, and he has until Jan. 4 — the end of his 45-day window — to sign a professional contract in the States.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, it isn't expected to take that long for Yamamoto to land a deal. The 25-year-old will start his free agent process next week with a series of Zoom interviews. From there, he will travel to the U.S. to meet with finalists in-person after the MLB's Winter Meetings, which run Dec. 4-7 in Nashville.
The New York Yankees and New York Mets are both cited as teams interested in Yamamoto. Martino also notes a recent wave of misinformation on the Yamamoto front. It was initially reported that Yamamoto "preferred" to team up with another Japanese player in the MLB, when in reality he simply said he wouldn't have a problem playing with another Japanese player. It's not a requirement or necessarily even a bonus.
That said, Yamamoto is reportedly close with Boston Red Sox OF Masataka Yoshida and San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish. Both franchises have been floated as potential Yamamoto landing spots, while the Dodgers could even target both Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani as part of their aggressive offseason plan.