Yoshinobu Yamamoto has a geographic preference, but how important is it?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be one of the key free agents of the MLB offseason, coming over from the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. He's expected to be posted next week, when a window will open where he can agree on a contract with any of the 30 teams.
Heyman reported previously that every big market is interested, and the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers are also in. With that same rumor, he reported Yamamoto is believed to prefer the West Coast.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the West Coast preference from Yamamoto is being challenged by both the Yankees and Mets, both of them lending, "no credence" to the preference toward Pacifically-oriented teams.
The Yankees and Mets are evidently bullish that they can convince Yamamoto to sign with them after failing to lure Ohtani away from the West Coast years ago.
Practically, for a Japanese player, coming over to America and signing with a team on the West Coast makes sense since it's closer to the home country. California is also home to the most Japanese Americans of any state that houses an MLB team, making the cultural shift less of a shock.
A Pacific preference is logical, but what's missing from the information is the magnitude of importance Yamamoto places on his West Coast placement. Is this the most important factor, above even compensation and winning culture? Or is it more like a nice added bonus that might be a deal-breaking factor between two almost identical clubs?
Time shall tell, and with Yamamoto expected to get posted as early as Monday, it may tell soon.
Yankees seem to be looking past Shohei Ohtani in free agency
Along the same lines, Shohei Ohtani's preference for the Pacific appears to be taken more seriously.
The New York Yankees may pursue Shohei Ohtani this offseason, but even their front office is acknowledging how much of a longshot it is that the megastar two-way player actually decides to come to New York. It's nothing personal, though, they believe the odds of Ohtani coming to the East Coast for any team are slim.
Interestingly, though, according to Jon Heyman, the Yankees are basing their opinion on Ohtani's unlikelihood to sign in New York off of a comment he made to them six years ago when they courted him out of Japan, when Ohtani told the organization he couldn't see himself living in a massive market like New York.
Six years is a long time to hold onto a comment, especially considering Ohtani had yet to live in America and his view of things could very well have changed by now. Personality is not necessarily a static trait, especially as one integrates into a new culture.
Regardless, the view of now is pessimistic with the Yankees as far as Ohtani is concerned. We already learned a bit ago that the Mets weren't going to aggressively pursue Ohtani.
And if the team can't even convince itself it's a real player for a massive free agent, can we really expect them to convince the player?
Braves working up to a big move?
The Atlanta Braves put forth one of the most dominant regular seasons in recent memory in 2023. In the end, that fact will long be forgotten since the Braves were eliminated in the NLDS after securing a first-round bye by the Philadelphia Phillies, a fate that is beginning to feel annually destined.
If you thought the Braves would rest on the regular season laurels moving forward, think again. Alex Anthopoulos has already made big moves including seven players sent out via trades and seven via non-tendering, including a trade that moved Kyle Wright and Nick Anderson to the Royals, making the team's need for pitching even more clear.
Ken Rosenthal thinks these moves are just table-setting for something bigger. In his latest column for The Athletic, Rosenthal said one agent he spoke to said the moves are calculated and methodical with a specific purpose in mind (subscription required). That purpose, though, is up for debate.
Rosenthal suggests he feels a free agent spend is most likely, with pitchers like Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray the most easily predictible splashes to come through.
It's clear that at present, though, things are open-ended, with just the Braves able to tie things up. A trade or free agent play is certainly likely to happen, and it appears likely to involve starting pitching.
Buckle up!
