Updated Post – Nov. 22 at 4:10 PM ET
Joel Wolfe, the agent for Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, spoke to Japanese media recently and here are the important notes:
- No geographical preferences
- 11-14 teams have already made contact
- no issue sharing spotlight with another Japanese player
- Yamamoto will return to US following the Winter Meetings
Should note that some outlets are incorrectly reporting that Wolfe said Yamamoto “wants to” play with a Japanese player, which wouldn’t make sense to share (even if true) because it was severely limit the landing spots.
Original Post – Nov. 20 at 12:32 PM ET
MLB released a memo on Monday announcing that Japanese ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been posted. The signing window officially begins Tuesday, November 21, at 8:00 a.m. ET and ends January 4 at 5:00 p.m. ET, marking the 45-day window.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, Yamamoto is expected to begin meeting with teams in early December, although he will not attend Winter Meetings in Nashville. He is also not requiring teams to host him in their home city.
The Mets are just one of a handful of teams expected to be in the mix for the Japanese star, as the Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Cubs and Red Sox all plan to make a run for him as well. Mets pitcher and fellow Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga has made it known to both Mets personnel and players that he wants Yamamoto on the Mets.
