MLB rumors: Yoshinobu Yamamoto set for first official visit, but Mets have an edge

Shohei Ohtani is the big free agency domino that is waiting to fall, with a decision reportedly set to come before the end of this weekend. From there, signings should be fast and furious. But another player who is receiving a ton of attention is Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto of Nippon Professional Baseball's Orix Buffaloes. Yamamoto is expected to transition perfectly in MLB and become a dominant ace pitcher, and teams from some of the big markets are expected to enter a bidding war for his services.

Yamamoto is expected to sign well after Ohtani does, as he is set to visit with teams in the United States before ultimately making his decision. So, who gets the first visit?

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Yamamoto is expected to meet with the New York Yankees on Monday in the United States.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to meet with Yankees in United States on Monday

From there, it's unknown who Yamamoto will meet with after the Yankees. Morosi mentions the Boston Red Sox, Los Angele Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs.

There was another update on the Yamamoto front, as The Athletic's Will Sammon reported on Wednesday that New York Met owner Steve Cohen flew to Japan to meet with Yamamoto. You can't count out Cohen, as he has shown the willingness to spend money to bring in top talent.

The Yankees are in the running for San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto, but they are still expected to make a run at Yamamoto, who won three Pacific League MVPs in his seven-year career. Not to mention, he won gold medals in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

In his seven seasons in NPB, Yamamoto recorded a 1.82 ERA, a 0.935 WHIP, a 70-29 win-loss record, 922 strikeouts, and 206 walks in 897.0 innings (172 games).

Yamamoto's posting window is set to close by Jan. 4, 2024.

According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, a former MLB general manager, there's a belief that Yamamoto could receive a contract worth around $300 million.

The Yankees are aiming high this offseason, and Yamamoto is a name they have been linked to since before the end of the 2023 campaign. We'll see if they can get a deal done, or if another team can get the Japanese star to sign.