MLB Rumors: Yankees 'Confident' About Signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Contract in FA

The New York Yankees are reportedly one of the frontrunners to sign Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto this winter, but they'll have plenty of competition.

Per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, "the Yankees feel confident about their chances of signing him before his posting window expires on Jan. 4. But competition remains, as the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are seen as the Yankees' biggest rivals in the chase for the Japanese ace."

Yamamoto, 25, was 16-6 this past season for the Orix Buffaloes in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, posting a 21 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 164 innings. He won his third Sawamura Award, given to the league's best pitcher.

"It's hard to find a 25-year-old pitcher that's as decorated as he is and has had the level of success he's had at this point in his career over there, and on the world's stage on the WBC," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told Kirschner. "Our reports are that this guy's really good, as I think the industry sees it the same way and there's going to be a lot of suitors for him. But I feel quite confident that he's going to come over here and be a really special top-of-rotation-type pitcher."

Unsurprisingly, Yamamoto is arguably the most coveted free agent this winter not named Shohei Ohtani. Given his age, he's likely to be the starting pitcher who sees the most lucrative contract and should exceed the seven-year, $172 million deal Aaron Nola inked to return to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Yankees are expected to make a big splash (or two) this offseason, with the team consistently rumored to be in trade talks with the San Diego Padres regarding superstar outfielder Juan Soto. Kirschner noted, however, that the team has "reportedly balked at the Padres' high asking price for Soto, who will make more than $30 million next season via salary arbitration and be a free agent next winter."

The 2023 season was a disaster for New York, as the team went 82-80 and missed the postseason, finishing fourth in the loaded AL East. Given that the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays all have talented young cores, the division isn't going to get easier anytime soon.

But the Yankees have the ability to go star-hunting, and bolstering the rotation with Yamamoto would make them scary. No teams would be thrilled facing the one-two punch of Gerrit Cole and Yamamoto come the postseason, assuming the latter lives up to the potential that has made him the most prized pitcher in free agency.