Free-agent ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto may be closing on a decision, and a massive payday
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s free agency is dominating MLB’s offseason, but it may be nearing a conclusion.
The 45-day window for Yamamoto to reach an agreement with a major league team remains open through Jan. 4. But the 25-year-old — who has won three straight Sawamura awards as the top NPB pitcher, and was 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA, 27 percent strikeout rate, and 4 percent walk rate in 2023 — is accepting offers from interested teams, according to major league sources.
Yamamoto’s combination of age and talent could propel the bids for his services to historic levels. While members of the industry viewed a deal of $200 million as within reach at the start of the offseason, the allure of the righthander’s skill set and relative youth has raised the bar considerably. (He’s roughly four years younger than Gerrit Cole was when the Yankees signed the 2023 AL Cy Young winner to a $324 million deal.)