The New York Mets did everything they could to sign Japanese starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in MLB free agency. Owner Steve Cohen literally wined and dined him but still could not lure him away from the supremely aggressive Los Angeles Dodgers. The organization, as well as the New York Yankees, made a last-minute offer in a desperate attempt to win these sweepstakes.
“Before the Dodgers landed him, the Mets presented Yoshinobu Yamamoto with an offer of $325 million for 12 years {originally from SNY's Andy Martino}, which Los Angeles matched,” Will Sammon of The Athletic reported Thursday night.
This revelation makes Yamamoto's snub sting even more. New York went all in on the right-hander just as the fan base wanted and still did not appeal more to the ace than LA. Shohei Ohtani recruited him hard, while the Dodgers' loaded roster and ample resources presumably closed the deal.
It is a bitter pill to swallow, and one that has been shoved down the Mets' throat multiple times before, but they do not carry the same history or prestige as some other major-market ballclubs, including the one who just beat them out for Yamamoto. When money is not the deciding factor, those aforementioned ones can be a decisive tiebreaker in free agency.
Though, geography also could have played a role in the 25-year-old opting to join LA, which would leave New York at an obvious disadvantage. Nevertheless, the Mets were finalists for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and could not put pen to paper. Fans will now be asked to make a significant adjustment period with the No. 1 offseason objective officially up in flames.