Why Superstar Pitcher Spurned Mets In Free Agency

yoshinobu-yamamoto

Although the New York Mets whiffed on their top target this winter, they did everything they could to bring him to Queens.

And despite the resounding belief that Japanese superstar free agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto preferred the west coast, that’s not the main reason he chose the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Mets and Yankees.

In a recent interview, Yamamoto told Joel Sherman of The New York Post that he was drawn to the Dodgers due to their long history of success as well as the organization’s overall atmosphere in present day.

The Mets initially offered Yamamoto a 12-year, $325 million deal, but he went back to the Dodgers, who then matched the contract and landed the star hurler.

The Yankees, on the other hand, made a much lower offer of 10-years, $300 million, standing on the principle that no other pitcher on their roster should be paid more than AL Cy young winner Gerrit Cole and his $324 million contract.

As for the Mets, there wasn’t much else they could do to sign Yamamoto, as they had multiple in person meetings, including a meet up in Japan, and a private dinner at team owner Steve Cohen’s Connecticut estate.

And Yamamoto did tell Sherman that both the Mets and Yankees made it clear that they were very serious about adding him.

After missing out on Yamamoto, the Mets pivoted to bolstering their rotation with serviceable, low ceiling, high floor arms. They will go into the season with Kodai Senga as their ace, who is coming off a year, where he finished as the runner up for NL Rookie of the Year.