MLB Rumors: Yankees in disarray as Mets have surprise Yoshinobu Yamamoto meeting

If the New York Yankees really are favorites to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they certainly aren't acting like it. Yamamoto reportedly prefers either the Yankees or the Dodgers are a potential landing spot, but there are plenty of other teams in the mix.

Per Jim Bowden, the Giants and Red Sox have made offers to Yamamoto in excess of $300 million. It's unclear if that information is true, or if those teams are merely being used as leverage to get the Dodgers and Yankees to pony up.

On Saturday, Yamamoto and his representatives reportedly met with New York Mets owner Steve Cohen for a second time, but in his home. Cohen, as well as Carlos Mendoza and Jeremy Hefner met with Yamamoto. This comes just a few weeks after Cohen and David Stearns traveled to Japan to meet with the young righty.

This, in comparison to the Yankees 'hastily-scheduled' meeting between the Yankees and Yamamoto, does not reflect well on New York's chances.

As was the case when the Red Sox and Giants offers were released, fans should be weary of any reported information regarding the Yamamoto chase -- there's a good chance it's being used to scare a possible suitor into raising their contract offer.

MLB Rumors: Yankees at risk of losing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto?

The Mets are all-in on Yamamoto, as has been reported by The Athletic. If Cohen and Stearns are unable to land the 25-year-old ace to pair with Kodai Senga, they may reset the clock for 2025 and ride things out with their young core, rather than overspending on a backup plan.

As for the Yankees, Yamamoto has long been at the top of their list. For over the past year, Brian Cashman and Co. have awaited Yamamoto's arrival in the states, hoping to pair him with Gerrit Cole atop their rotation.

At this point, we're not sure what to believe about the Yankees pursuit. As was the case with Shohei Ohtani's free agency, Yamamoto and Co. are keeping things close to the vest.