MLB Insider Claims Boston Red Sox Have Made Monster Offer to Yoshinobu Yamamoto
The Boston Red Sox have reportedly offered free agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto a contract worth just over $300 million, according to MLB insider Marino Pepén.
The deal, per Pepén, also consists of multiple clauses and incentives for both Yamamoto and the Red Sox.
Red Sox fans may be wary of Pepén’s reporting, considering he insinuated on multiple occasions last winter that shortstop Xander Bogaerts would be returning to Boston. The exact wording of Pepén’s reports were technically never proven false, though, despite Bogaerts ultimately joining the San Diego Padres.
To add even more fuel to the fire, Boston’s pitching coach Andrew Bailey recently followed Yamamoto on Instagram. The Red Sox reportedly met with the 25-year-old Japanese right-hander earlier this week.
Yamamoto has also taken meetings with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. The Toronto Blue Jays have also reportedly shown interest.
Yamamoto is the three-time reigning Pacific League MVP and Eiji Sawamura Award winner, which is given to the top pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball. He has also won three Gold Gloves, four ERA titles, four strikeout titles and a Japanese Series.
The five-time All-Star has thrown two no-hitters in his professional career.