Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to be one of the big names in MLB free agency this offseason, if he does get posted by the Orix Buffaloes this offseason, and two of the teams to watch for are the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a no-hitter in his latest start for the Orix Buffaloes, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was in attendance among 29 other scouts, according to Nightengale.

Meanwhile, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is reportedly going to be attending Yamamoto's next start.

There is no question that Yamamoto will be a hot commodity this offseason. Starting pitching is a premium in MLB, and both of these teams could use someone with the potential that Yamamoto has. Overall in 2023, Yamamoto has pitched to a 1.20 ERA in 150 innings with 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings, according to Baseball Reference.

The Yankees have Gerrit Cole as their ace, but could use some reinforcements behind him. Carlos Rodon is supposed to be the No. 2 starter, but he has struggled since returning from injury after signing a big deal last offseason. The hope is that Rodon rebounds next year, but that is not a guaranteed. After that, players like Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and potentially Michael King would fill out the rotation.

For the Cubs, Marcus Stroman has a player option this offseason, and despite an injury, there is a good chance he opts out after how he performed this year. Yamamoto would be a good fit in Chicago.

It will be interesting to see where Yamamoto ends up next season.