MLB Rumors: Giants Out on FA Yoshinobu Yamamoto amid Yankees, Mets, Dodgers Buzz

The San Francisco Giants have been told that they're no longer in the bidding for ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Giants officials have met with Yamamoto and are "enamored" with him, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, although it doesn't appear that the feeling was mutual. He'll likely be headed elsewhere, although he could sign with another franchise on the West Coast.

Per Pavlovic, the "expectation" is that he will end up in Los Angeles or New York amid interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets.

Yamamoto has been coveted by several teams since he was posted by the Orix Buffaloes of the NPB on Nov. 20, although only a select few seem to have a realistic shot at signing him. The Yankees and Dodgers are in "good shape" to add him, while the Mets "have a shot" at bringing him in, per Andy Martino of SNY.

According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Yankees have already made a "significant bid" on Yamamoto. They haven't heard a decision regarding their offer, through.

The Giants haven't been shy about their interest in Yamamoto, as the team is currently looking for another elite starting pitcher to pair alongside right-hander Logan Webb following his 2023 campaign that resulted in a second-place finish in NL Cy Young voting.

"It's been a pilgrimage over there from front office people to see him," Giants executive Farhan Zaidi said about Yamamoto in an October interview (per Pavlovic). "He's really one of the top starting pitchers in the world. I know it sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not."

The 25-year-old wrapped up another impressive season with the Buffaloes in 2023, accumulating a 16-6 record to go along with a 1.21 ERA. He allowed just two home runs, striking out 169 batters in 164 innings of work.

San Francisco will likely pivot toward a different starting pitcher in free agency, as USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday that the Giants are considered the "leading candidate" to sign reigning NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell.