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On Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s 12-year contract with the Dodgers includes opt-outs after years six and eight. Rosenthal added that Yamamoto’s contract is backloaded, so he may miss out on more money if he chooses to opt-out. Yamamoto’s contract was historic, as he signed the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history, beating Gerrit Cole‘s by $1 million, without even throwing a pitch in the majors. If he lives up to the hype, he may choose to exercise either of his opt-outs making his deal potentially six or eight years long.
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In reference to the Mets’ pursuit of Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Steve Cohen told the New York Post on Friday that he “feel(s) good about our efforts and I left it all on the field.” Cohen and the Mets did everything they could, including visiting Yamamoto in Japan and then hosting him in a separate meeting at Cohen’s mansion. Ultimately, the Mets reportedly offered Yamamoto a 12-year, $325 million contract that the Dodgers wound up matching.
Andy Martino of SNY reports that the Mets will likely look to pursue pitchers on relatively cheaper deals after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto. This likely takes the Mets out of contention for players like Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell and puts them more in the range of a player like Lucas Giolito. While these won’t be flashy moves, David Stearns might deem them in the best interest of a rebuilding Mets club.
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Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s contract with the Dodgers includes opt-outs after years six and eight.
Rosenthal also offered nuggets of information from around the league, including:
- Many teams are interested in trading for Angels players including Luis Rengifo and Mickey Moniak.
- The Red Sox are showing interest in free-agent outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
- The Rangers are pursuing Clayton Kershaw, who is expected to miss the beginning of the 2024 season, but Kershaw could potentially land back with the Dodgers as well.
- While the Padres have had trade discussions around Jake Cronenworth, he is now less likely to be moved than previously thought.
Per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, the Tigers signed pitcher Shelby Miller. The Tigers announced that it is a one-year, $3 million deal with a $4.25 million club option for 2025.
The Padres announced that they claimed reliever Luis Patiño off waivers from the White Sox.
The Orioles announced the passing of Ryan Minor, a former third baseman who had a long career as a minor league manager.
Latest on MMO
Rich Sparago takes a look at the latest rule changes for the 2024 MLB season.
Michael Mayer breaks down Baseball Prospectus’ list of the top 10 Mets prospects.
Michael Mayer analyzes the state of the Mets’ rotation after the team failed to land Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency.
On This Date in Mets History
1999: Just a week after Ken Griffey Jr. vetoed a trade that would have sent him to the Mets, the team pivoted and acquired reigning Cy Young Award runner-up and 22-game winner Mike Hampton, who had spent the previous six years with the Astros. The Mets sent Roger Cedeño, Octavio Dotel, and minor leaguer Kyle Kessel to Houston. In Hampton’s lone season in New York in 2000, he went 15-10 with a 3.14 ERA while also batting .274 in 84 plate appearances.
Birthdays: Jordany Valdespin (36), Josh Satin (39), Rick White (55), Tim Leary (65), Jerry Koosman (81), Tim Harkness (86)
