Many have been after the services of the Japanese Ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it seems the Cubs are among the leaders for his services.
Jeff Passan posted a huge article today on ESPN with some really interesting rumors and news as far as the Cubs and free agency. One that stuck out for the Cubs was what he had to say about Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It appears that they are among the favorites to be able to sign the star in the coming days and weeks after he was posted last week by the Orix Buffaloes, his NPB team. Here’s what he had to say:
It’s difficult to remember a player with a market as robust as Yamamoto’s. The 25-year-old right-hander will decide among a who’s who of teams interested in him: The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Cubs are among the favorites, with the Giants, Blue Jays and Phillies also expected to be in the mix.
It is great to see that the Cubs are still in the running for such an impressive young free-agent arm. This is the time when the team to should be looking to make big deals as they are coming into the prime contention window. However, it seems like it won’t be so easy to acquire his services as there are some other big fish in the running as well.
The other teams listed along with the Cubs have all shown they are willing to spend top dollar in free agency or to re-sign their own. The Mets with Scherzer and Verlander, LA with Mookie and Freeman, Philly with Harper and Nola, and of course, the Yankees will always be the Yankees when it comes to throwing money around. Especially, when they covet a guy as they do Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
For the Cubs, letting someone as young and talented as Yoshinobu Yamamoto slip away would be a hard pill to swallow. They have the need, the infrastructure to help him be successful, and the financial resources to get it done. Now is the time to strike for Jed and Co.
For More Great Chicago Sports Content
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
