There could be another Japanese sensation in Major League Baseball, and teams are on red alert, hoping to sign this young man.
Nippon Professional Baseball stand out Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on his way to American soil, and many teams, including the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants, and the San Diego Padres, want a shot at discussing things with him.
His team, Orix Buffaloes, with whom he has been a part since 2017, already notified the MLB that he will become a free agent by Tuesday.
The negotiating period can last up to 45 days, so one should be patient if the young pitcher takes time to select a team.
How good is Yamamoto?
Yamamoto, 25, won the Japanese Triple Crown from 2021 to 2023. In that span, he also won the Eiji Sawamura Award, an honor given to the best pitcher in the league.
In America, only three players have won the Triple Crown: Sandy "The Left Arm of God" Koufax, Walter "Big Train" Johnson, and Grover Cleveland Alexander.
His time with the Buffaloes is also remarkable as he recorded a 70-29 win-loss slate and struck out 922 batters over 897 innings.
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Teams interested
Forbes' Daniel Epstein said Yamamoto's contract details are unprecedented, and that alone should make fans and teams curious.
"Yamamoto will shatter [Masahiro] Tanaka's record for a player initially coming over from Japan," Epstein wrote.
"There hasn't been anyone like him in free agency in at least ten years and every franchise would love to add him to their rotation. To do so, they'll have to give him the largest contract of any pitcher this offseason (not including Ohtani). If his career matches or exceeds Darvish's or Tanaka's as expected, he'll be worth it."
Teams who have expressed interest in signing Yamamoto - directly or indirectly - are the Chicago Red Sox, the Mets, and the Dodgers.
The only hindrance here is the cap ceiling these teams must follow.
Negotiation details and probable contract
The MLB and NPB have an existing agreement over transferring Japanese players to the American baseball organization. Under the agreement, a posting fee of 20 percent will have to be paid if a major league contract of at least $25 million is finalized. The posting fee will drop to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. A supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators, and exercised options are also in the equation.
There is a high likelihood that these terms will be observed as Yamamoto is expected to sign a $200 million contract.
The contract expectations and his exploits in his home country are among the reasons his arrival is being compared to that of two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani.
The two-time AL MVP, who came to the league in 2018, is a free agent for the next season, and teams are also scrambling to have him on their squad. He is expected to sign a deal that could eclipse Aaron Judge's nine-year, $360 million deal with the New York Yankees.
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