Officially in the running for an all time negotiation that’ll never end, and holding up the rest of the market all the while, a decision from star free-agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto isn’t expected to come before Christmas.
For first-year Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the rest of the Red Sox, that can make the holidays a little more stressful than they would prefer.
And the latest reporting on Yamamoto’s talks doesn’t seem like it’ll be of much relief to Boston and their hopes of landing the Japanese ace.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 20: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan looks on during the fifth inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
If the Red Sox are effectively getting ‘no sold’ by Yamamoto and his camps on touring the area despite being a 90-minute flight away while in New York and the Sox among the group willing to offer him over $300 million, one would assume that’s a straight-up disastrous sign for their chances of signing him.
It may mean that Yamamoto does not view the Red Sox as a viable destination, even with the money being offered. Or, at the very least, that Yamamoto’s other suitors are better options if the money is comparable.
Of course, it is worth noting that there’s been some pushback on Yamamoto and his interest or knowledge in Fenway Park, with Red Sox manager Alex Cora telling Audacy’s Rob Bradford that Yamamoto ‘knows a lot about Fenway Park’ in an interview for Bradford’s ‘Baseball Isn’t Boring’ podcast. In the interview, Cora would not confirm (or deny) that Yamamoto had visited Fenway.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 20: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan delivers a pitch against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
So, at this point who the hell knows what’s going on?
With Yamamoto’s camp looking for the best deal possible — it seems like Yamamoto will break Gerrit Cole’s $324 million contract with New York for the richest contract for a pitcher in MLB history — we could be in the thick of lying season in the name of driving the price up and making teams sweat. That may even be likely if Yamamoto’s camp is aware of the optics that currently surround John Henry’s Red Sox and their recent unwillingness to spend for top-of-the-line talents.
But what we do know right now is that the Red Sox are interested in Yamamoto. Whether that goes both ways will eventually come out in due time. In the now, however, they are joined in their pursuit of the 25-year-old star by the Giants, Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, and Phillies.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – MARCH 20: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan pitches in the eighth inning against Team Mexico during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 20, 2023. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)
This past season, Yamamato won 16 of his 22 decisions in 23 starts for the Orix Buffaloes, and posted a 1.21 ERA and 0.884 WHIP. Yamamato also struck out 169 hitters with just 28 walks in 164 innings, and in September, he threw his second career no-hitter. For that performance, Yamamoto won his third consecutive Pacific League MVP, third consecutive Sawamura Award (the Japanese Cy Young Award), and was named to his fifth NBP All-Star Game.
As noted, Yamamoto is currently holding up a free agent market that also features Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Lucas Giolito, and Seth Lugo as notable secondary options for teams that swing and miss on Yamamoto.
