Opinion: Mets Should Not Wait for Yamamoto to Bolster Team

With Shohei Ohtani off the board, the next big free agent watch in baseball is one that concerns the New York Mets much more: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Rumors and reports change daily, though many treat the Mets as underdogs in the race.

While Yamamoto is the big fish, the Mets have made virtually no other moves outside some low-level bullpen additions and Luis Severino on a one-year deal. Joey Wendle hardly qualifies as a move.

Meanwhile, the Mets still have multiple needs. Even if they consider third base set with their current depth (which is less certain due to Ronny Mauricio‘s ACL tear), they still have needs in the corner outfield, at designated hitter, and potentially at second base. They also need a reliable eighth-inning man and a minimum of one more starter besides Yamamoto, even if they were to acquire him.

Essentially, the Mets seem to be holding up their entire offseason to see what happens with the Japanese pitcher. The problem is that it may make him less likely to come.

As much money as Steve Cohen can put on the table for Yamamoto, winning means something to most players. If the money is pretty close, why would Yamamoto choose the Mets over the Dodgers or even the Yankees? Can the Mets honestly say that they plan on competing this season if they have not added any other players by the time he is ready to make his decision?

Of course, some posit that Yamamoto will simply follow the money, which gives Cohen an immediate edge. He can (and seemingly will) blow any offer out of the water. The Mets can also guarantee that Yamamoto will be the featured superstar, something he will not have with the Yankees or Dodgers.

Still, even with Yamamoto, this Mets club presents as a wild card team at best. Some of the Mets’ possible free-agent and trade targets, including Seth Lugo, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jung-Hoo Lee, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Tyler Glasnow, have already gone elsewhere. The Mets’ needs are going nowhere. If they wait to see where Yamamoto winds up, they’ll be behind the eight-ball.

Much of the market has yet to heat up, likely waiting for Yamamoto as it did for Ohtani. Still, even if some players sign, those are players the Mets cannot acquire. Gurriel might have been a good fit in New York. The Mets reportedly had some interest in Lugo, Rodriguez, Glasnow, and Lee. Even if the pitching market is tied up by Yamamoto, the team should not wait to acquire at least one more power bat.

Perhaps there is a trade market that will develop only after Yamamoto signs. Or maybe the Mets plan to stick with the pitching market and go to the bargain basement in the hitting department. Or maybe some of the hitters are sticking around to see what Yamamoto gets, too.