Not our Star Blazer: Yamamoto signs with the Dodgers for $325 million, 12 years
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The weather generally is good during the baseball season, and I don't think anyone's going to say, "It rained a lot in the summer of '23 -- I think I'll steer clear of Boston".
This thread is getting hilarious. I hope Yamamoto drags the decision out for another week just for the comedy here.
Yet, at least the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Phillies, and Giants are all comfortable making the same or similar offers.
Some of you better brighten up your attitude. I have it on good authority that Yamamoto-sama is reading this thread as part of making his decision about Boston.
Where the hell is Koji in all this? He should be the closer in the negotiations. He can let Yamamoto know how awesome it is to win the World Series here, as long as he's as awesome as Koji was.
I don't. I want Yamamoto to make up his mind ASAP. If he's not going to the Sox, I just want him to clear up the free agent logjam.
Well played - RIP John Prine
I do think the Sox are intent on being competitive with any offer to Yamamoto - and likely have other irons in the fire at the same time. I wonder though that, if they see some writing on the wall RE:YY if the subtle “leak” could be a play to drive the process on other negotiations (JM perhaps)?
You're not wrong.
Time was, we'd have a thread on the pros and cons of YY and his ability to adapt to the current MLB environment, perhaps with a look at other significant NPB cross-overs, and then an attempt at valuing that in general, and to the 2024 Red Sox in particular. I'm sure that sort of information and analysis is lurking here somewhere in a megathread, but it's hard to find amidst everyone's personal plan for the offseason.
This is how free agency goes, and Yamamoto is the correct combination of age, health, and proven elite ability and output at a high level where he’s going to warrant the highest free agent contract for a pitcher in history.
No, he hasn’t done it in the MLB, but pitchers in Japan are different than the previous pedigree we have seen. Guys aren’t just medium-hard throwing control pitchers. They’re throwing gas and sliders and forkballs that play anywhere, as demonstrated in the WBC.
Eno Sarris had a piece in the Atlantic recently that analyzed each of his different pitches using tracking data from the World Baseball Classic. His analysis shows multiple, MLB-elite level pitches.
Did Breslow visit Yamamoto-house for Festivus? Time for Nip to fire the SoSH Chat app back up.
I've got to think that since the offer has been leaked, that other teams that are looking at it and seeing it as the basement price to get the deal done. This offer seems fairly beatable if you look at what the two NY teams as well as the Dodgers could pull together.
Just read that article myself, and his splitter in particular is elite-elite, like best on the planet stuff.
I think him playing in the WBC and playing well gives teams a level of confidence that he isn’t simply a byproduct of playing in Japan and his stuff isn’t juiced with Japan’s tacked ball.
The "leak" of the Sox offer is vague in that we nor anyone else has an idea of the years involved or the incentives. He'll, we don't even have any idea as to the validity of the leak.
I dont even know what there would be to complain about. Unless he ends up as a #3 or worse pitcher, $30-40M a year for a guy in his prime for the majority/all of the contract is a no brainer.
This isn't the standard contract where you're paying several years for past-his-pime production. If you're paying market value for a #1, or slightly overpaying for a #2, that's not going to break your salary cap.
This isn't the standard contract where you're paying several years for past-his-pime production. If you're paying market value for a #1, or slightly overpaying for a #2, that's not going to break your salary cap.
If he’s signing a 10+ year contract, that covers a lot of past his prime years- potentially. For example, the Sox gave Pedro a six year extension, so they had his years 26-32. A ten year deal would have covered three of the four Mets years, a 12 year deal the rest of his career.
So a team that signs YY will get his prime years- but all the rest too, most likely.
So a team that signs YY will get his prime years- but all the rest too, most likely.
If I had not been for watching Y in the WBC, I would not be so gung-ho.
Here's an article that refers to the kind of info available to front offices now for evaluation. I have no idea if the article is good.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/scouting-yoshinobu-yamamoto-who-are-his-closest-mlb-comps/ar-AA1lomBj
Here's an article that refers to the kind of info available to front offices now for evaluation. I have no idea if the article is good.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/scouting-yoshinobu-yamamoto-who-are-his-closest-mlb-comps/ar-AA1lomBj
There are a lot more details that follow that. I recommend skimming it if you want to get excited.
Maybe I’ll read it if the Sox actually sign him. Otherwise I’ll just be depressed!
View: https://twitter.com/tylermilliken_/status/1736398884983701539?s=46
I’m getting my hopes up….. which I do not like.
I’m getting my hopes up….. which I do not like.
But isn’t that always the trade off with FA signings? The entire point is to get the prime years and we all know there may be some lean years on the back end. This is partially offset by the fact that $35M in 6-8 years likely won’t be top-of-the-market salary so unless you think there is risk of catastrophic failure or injury, he might just be an expensive #3 or #4 down the road.
With guys like Snell, Montgomery, etc., you might not be getting ANY prime years or maybe just a couple because of their age so the same issue persists. Yes, they wouldn’t cost as much, and they have proven MLB production to point to, but their contracts could be problematic as well.
Thus, the real question is what do people think his likelihood of not being able to provide elite seasons due to coming from Japan. Pretty much every team with a ton of resources, teams who have studied him for months and probably years, are good with that risk. So am I based on the limited information we have available. He fits the profile of everything you look for in a SP outside of maybe ideal size. But if you gave us all the option of a guy with Pedro’s trajectory (he obviously wouldn’t be as good), I could live with that. 5-6 years of ace level production is just so valuable.
View: https://twitter.com/joelsherman1/status/1736399203914702873?s=46
Seems like Yamamoto is in the Northeast based on this and the Fenway Park tidbit
Seems like Yamamoto is in the Northeast based on this and the Fenway Park tidbit
Yeah, of course. I think the risk here, like with all high priced pitchers, is of injury (as seen with Price and Sale, Scherzer and Verlander, etc.). If the Sox end up signing YY and another high level SP, that could be $500M+ invested in two pitchers, hopefully the revenues support it going forward but I guess I’m just paranoid that the team could find itself back in the same situation it was in back in 19. If they can get a 2018 in there, though, it will be worth it, right?
I know we all keep saying they will sign two SPs but man I’ll believe it when I see it.
Yeah, I think the injury concerns are always valid. I also think that if we’re lucky enough to land YY, they’ll get the 2nd starter via trade.
I’m doing a ton of tea leaf reading but I think the Dodgers are out based on this trip and the Glasnow trade.
If it was the Dodgers I think it would have already happened.
If it was the Dodgers I think it would have already happened.
If it was as predetermined as many here believed, it would have happened already. But he may actually be doing real due diligence before making an informed decision.
I continue to believe that the Sox have a very real chance to get him.
A concern for another day, but I'm curious as to how the team will work the rotation around Yamamoto should they land him. Japanese pitchers normally work on a 6 day rotation with 5 days off. I fully expect that he'll eventually follow the normal MLB 5 day rotation, but I wonder if he'll get eased into that or if that will be the norm from day one.
Not sure they’re out since they could always just come back with a better offer but this trip gives me hope that he’s shifted his focus to all of the Northeast teams. Hard to know how real Philly’s interest is. That could be a wild card. But, for now, I remain most concerned about the NY teams who are both being very aggressive in their pursuit.
Cohen can easily outbid the Sox I would think. I still feel like the Sox need to do whatever they can to get him to sign here.
I'm not so sure that LA is out, but given the investments already made they are probably hesitant to outbid themselves.
The Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees all seem like they will just meet whatever number he wants. It’s gonna come down to what he wants.
He won’t be the opening day starter with the Yankees and they have some significant payroll limitations. I don’t know.
The Red Sox have always made the most sense based on need and payroll. If they are indeed willing to match whatever, they are going to be a real player here.
He won’t be the opening day starter with the Yankees and they have some significant payroll limitations. I don’t know.
The Red Sox have always made the most sense based on need and payroll. If they are indeed willing to match whatever, they are going to be a real player here.
Hope Breslow has put a question mark into the head of Yamamoto as to the stability of the Mets and the practice of signing big FAs only to ship them out when things don't go well for the team.
This is always my favored approach as well. Win-win for both sides. Give him the opt-out for his age 30 contract, but entice him with a $50M 1-year extension 6 years down the road.
I'm doing my part as well, to the same affect.
Sign Yamamoto, go after Montgomery and Imanaga, trade for Burnes/Adames and call it an offseasono. 3 stud pitchers frees up guys like Houck and Pivetta to be moved, if necessary, but even 2 signings frees up one of them.
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