Yoshinobu Yamamoto Rumors: Giants to Be 'Given Every Consideration' After SF Meeting

The race for Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is heating up, and a West Coast team is reportedly not out of the running.

According to The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly, the San Francisco Giants "have been assured they will be given every consideration" by Yamamoto after meeting with him last week in the Bay Area.

Yamamoto, who is undoubtedly the most coveted player remaining on the open market, is reportedly believed to be considering the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. The Los Angeles Dodgers are also on the radar after they signed two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani.

However, the Giants should not be discouraged about their chances to sign Yamamoto. Baggarly noted that the 25-year-old right-hander could have stayed at his agency in Los Angeles but flew into San Francisco to meet with team officials at Oracle Park last week, which is a step in the right direction.

"That detail might not count as a good omen. But it's not a bad omen, either," Baggarly explained. "Especially after Yamamoto jetted to New York to hold private meetings with the Mets and Yankees over the past few days."

It was also stated that the Giants are "enamored" with Yamamoto, and understandably so. While starring for the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball, he put together a career record of 70-29. This past season, he went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA and 169 strikeouts in 164 innings of work.

That type of dominance would be a welcome addition to any team in MLB, but the Giants are hoping to make a splash after falling short on other big-name free agents in recent years. It remains to be seen if San Francisco will land its biggest target this time around.