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The Yoshinobu Yamamoto free agency sweepstakes are heating up. Yamamoto, the best free agent pitcher available, is expected to receive a lucrative contract. The question is which team will end up signing him?
The New York Mets are one of the favorites to sign Yamamoto. They have reportedly made some interesting pitches to Yamamoto, as teams such as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers also pursue him in free agency. One pitch the Mets reportedly made involved Shohei Ohtani, per Mike Puma of the New York Post.
“When stacked up against the Dodgers, the Mets have tried to sell Yamamoto, according to a source, on the idea he wouldn’t have to reside in Shohei Ohtani’s shadow in Los Angeles and could forge his own identity on the East Coast,” Puma wrote in a recent article.
In the end, every player in MLB right now is in Shohei Ohtani's shadow. Even Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, two of baseball's best and most popular players, probably won't receive as much attention as Ohtani for the Dodgers. And Betts and Freeman surely won't mind either, as their primary focus is on winning.
Still, the Mets are simply trying to sign a future ace. Yamamoto's potential suggests he can compete for Cy Young awards while leading a rotation.
Mets waiting for Yoshinobu Yamamoto's free agency decision
The Mets aren't expected to remain ultra-aggressive in free agency after Yamamoto makes his decision. New York spent a lot of money last offseason and the team ended up missing the playoffs. This year, they have primarily made less notable moves to help build depth on the roster.
New York is clearly focused on signing Yamamoto, however. He's the one free agent the Mets are seemingly willing to sign to a large contract. Yamamoto is expected to make his free agency decision soon.
