Yoshinobu Yamamoto rumors: Latest detail about Yankees, Mets meetings is telling

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is coming closer to a free agency decision by the day, holding additional meetings with the New York Yankees and New York Mets over the weekend.

Apparently, those meetings were by his request.

Jon Heyman and Andy Martino each reported that Yamamoto requested to meet with both New York clubs while he was on the East Coast. We obviously don't want to read too much into the fact that Yamamoto initiated those meetings. Having said that it feels significant. There are still things to sort out with his decision, but that detail can only be a good sign for the teams involved.

Yamamoto reportedly met with Steve Cohen and the Mets on Saturday. On Sunday, he followed up with the Yankees.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto's request bolsters hopes for Yankees and Mets

It's not certain where this leaves the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, but Martino has tweeted that those teams are still "in it." It's entirely possible they also get an additional interview with the player, but we'll have to wait to find that out. Yamamoto met with the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Red Sox are rumored to have met with him as well though details are less clear.

Yamamoto is one of the most coveted free agents on the market, perhaps only second to Shohei Ohtani, who signed with the Dodgers last week.

Speculation has swirled around the Japanese pitcher who lit up the NPB. He's expected to get a contract surpassing $300 million despite having never thrown a pitch in MLB. That's the level of prospect the 25-year-old is.

Martino reported that the Yankees are "cautiously optimistic" about their chances to land Yamamoto. However, the fact that the Mets got a second meeting with the pitcher puts them squarely in the mix as well, especially if Steven Cohen is willing to make a sizable financial commitment. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have Ohtani recruiting for them.