The New York Mets are never afraid to make a splash in free agency, even though it didn't work out last winter as we saw in the 2023 season. That's why Shohei Ohtani being on their radar isn't a huge surprise.

That being said, it appears they've moved on from the two-way superstar and shifted their focus to Japanese stud Yoshinobu Yamamoto, as reported by Andy Martino of SNY. Nearly every team in the big leagues is hoping to sign Yamamoto, who is considered one of the best arms to come out of Japan in years. There's even a belief across the industry that he could even be in Cy Young contention in 2024. That's how special Yamamoto is.

Per reports, Yamamoto is more intrigued by the history surrounding the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but not so much the Mets. Money talks though, and Steve Cohen doesn't shy away from forking out a lot of cash to make his ball club better.

The Mets already added Luis Severino to their rotation on Thursday, signing him to a one-year deal. Jordan Montgomery is reportedly on their radar as well after he helped the Texas Rangers win the World Series.

Ohtani in Flushing isn't impossible, but the Dodgers, Cubs, and Blue Jays appear to be the finalists to land him and for that reason, the Mets are smart to prioritize Yamamoto. After trading Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the deadline this past summer, it only makes sense for the front office to go out and add more talent to their rotation. Yamamoto could be their next ace.