According to a recent report, the best arm available this year might prefer to play for one of the Gotham teams. The New York Yankees and New York Mets are looking for impact starting pitchers in free agency.
It was a difficult summer for New York City baseball fans this past summer. The opposite happened this year, after both of their MLB teams had successful seasons and made it to the postseason in 2022. The Mets were so bad that they declared bankruptcy ahead of the trade deadline and ended up being among the top sellers in July. Regarding the Yankees, they barely managed to finish with a record above.500 in 2023 due to injuries and poor seasons from a number of important players.
Beyond their underwhelming performances this season, the teams share the expectation that they will both target starting pitchers in MLB free agency over the coming months. Additionally, they have both been connected to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one of the leading players in the pitching market this winter.
The 25-year-old Japanese player has seen his profile soar in the past month due to interest from numerous affluent teams. Like fellow free agent and fellow countryman Shohei Ohtani, he appears to be a moving target when it comes to a signing. But there may be one significant distinction that gives the New York Yankees and New York Mets a significant advantage over the other.
The new front-runners in the Yoshinobu Yamamoto chase are the New York Yankees and New York Mets.
Since Ohtani signed his first MLB contract, there has been a perception in the league that he is a West Coast native and does not see competing in a major market as a top priority. But as MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today notes, “Two executives say that Yamamoto, unlike Shohei Ohtani, clamors to pitch in a large market, predicting that he will pitch for the Yankees or Mets.”
The Mets have been connected to Yamamoto for months and are reportedly searching for multiple starting pitchers in this year’s draft class. Moreover, they may have a significant advantage in attracting Yamamoto given the success of Japanese import Kodai Senga in 2023.
After 2022, the Yankees hope to upgrade their starting rotation for the following campaign. Nestor Cortes, an All-Star, underperformed in the most recent season, and the organization is now concerned about Carlos Rodon’s health, a free agent addition.