(Photo credit score: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports)
Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto can start negotiating with Major League Baseball groups on Tuesday after formally posting as a free agent.
The right-hander is projected to signal a long-term deal value greater than $200 million, and his present group in Japan will obtain a share of the contract worth on high of that, possible greater than $30 million.
Yamamoto, reportedly excessive on the offseason procuring record of a number of big-market groups, expects to attract curiosity from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox and each New York groups.
Per MLB guidelines, the 45-day window that opens Tuesday would shut at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 4.
The 25-year-old spent the previous six-plus seasons with the Orix Buffaloes, compiling a 70-29 document with one save and a 1.82 ERA in 172 video games. He has struck out 922 batters over 897 innings.
In 23 video games in 2023, he completed with a 16-6 document and 1.21 ERA with 169 strikeouts in 164 innings. Those numbers helped him to his third straight Triple Crown within the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball as he led the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts.
Only three pitchers in Major League Baseball have gained the Triple Crown 3 times — Sandy Koufax, Walter Johnson and Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Yamamoto additionally has gained the Eiji Sawamura Award, which equals the Cy Young Award, 3 times.
The 5-foot-10 Yamamoto gained a gold medal with Japan within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and one other within the World Baseball Classic earlier this 12 months.
–Field Level Media