Some fans are suggesting that arguably the most coveted free-agent pitcher ever, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will surely be a Met since he traveled cross-country to dine at Steve Cohen’s house in Greenwich. I’m sure it was cool to see how the other .0000001 percent lives, and Cohen, the Mets and his largesse may well lure him to Queens. But until Yamamoto makes his call, that assumption should be filed under this headline: Wishful thinking.
I’m sure Yamamoto was impressed by the Connecticut digs — I don’t anticipate an invite myself, though sources say it’s pretty nice at the Cohen compound/museum. But unless Yamamoto is swayed by a rotation of Picasso, Koons, Johns, Doig and Warhol, this competition remains wide open. And nobody should be surprised if he winds up a Dodger or a Yankee in this winter of the traditional power.
Cohen could blow away the field financially if he chooses, of course. And the Mets do love Yamamoto, who is known for his athleticism and extreme competitiveness — a word you hear is “ballsy,” which also will describe the winning bid for someone who hasn’t thrown a pitch in the bigs, has no draft pick attached and is only 25. That plus the 1.82 career ERA.
There’s nothing not to like unless your team has a height requirement — he’s a 5-foot-10 right-hander. Also, he looks unblemished on paper because unlike MLB veterans, he’s never been hit. He’s so good that Blake Snell, who dominated like no one in 2023, must wait for the Yamamoto derby to play out. So does everyone else at or near the top of the pitching market.
Yamamoto would be a coup for the Mets since the Dodgers and Yankees currently look better on paper. Maybe Yamamoto doesn’t want to play in the shadow of all-time great/new Dodger Shohei Ohtani, but it may still take more than a tour of masterpieces to beat both marquee franchises.
It certainly will be no shame if the Mets don’t emerge victorious in this field of seven — the Phillies, Red Sox, Giants and Blue Jays also appear in play — but since they aim to be competitive in 2024, they simply can’t enter the season with their rotation status quo. If the Mets fail to lure Yamamoto, they will need to add someone, and not just any someone.
They have checked in on every top starter from Snell to Jordan Montgomery to Shota Imanaga to Lucas Giolito to Brandon Woodruff. Any of them would help, and I’d add star closer Josh Hader, as well.
No blame here if they fail to land Yamamoto as the competition is nearly crazy. The Yankees are acting like he’s the Japanese Gerrit Cole. Maybe he is. But the interest is so enormous everyone expects the first $300 million-plus deal for an MLB newcomer.
Ultimately, Cohen’s bankroll may do the trick. But if not, that’s OK, there are still viable alternate plans. If they don’t get Yamamoto, they need to shoot for Snell or Hader, preferably both, plus Woodruff, an ace who fits nicely since he’ll be ready to go in 2025, the Mets’ real target date. Snell and Hader were the best starter and reliever in MLB last year, and combined, coincidentally they may cost the same $350 million Yamamoto should cost by himself (including the $50 million or so posting fee).
Maybe I’m residing in a fantasy world, but that’s the advantage of a Cohen-owned team. The Snell-Hader combo would improve their rotation from below par to contention worthy and their pen from a one-man show to outstanding.
We hear knocks on Snell, who walks a lot of guys and has a rep for being slightly unserious. First of all, the rep isn’t right. No one is talented enough to win two Cy Youngs without being serious about their craft. As far as the walks (an NL-high 99 last year), hardly anyone actually scores. His ERA from late May on of 1.20 was half — yes, half — of everyone else’s, and a league-best 2.25 overall. While he’s five years older, he also happens to have logged a similar number of innings as Yamamoto (992 to 967).
I haven’t actually heard Hader connected much to the Mets yet. But he represents a lot more than a chance for Stearns to undo the one poorly received trade he made in Stearns’ seven stellar seasons in Milwaukee (and importantly, word is Hader has no hard feelings about that trade).
The Mets may not be the most obvious fit, but he’d give them maybe the most dynamic bullpen combo since Goose Gossage and Sparky Lyle, and word is he’d have no qualms sharing the marquee relief role with the one comparable closer.
Hader is one of the most dominating relievers ever (his 15 K/9 is better than even Billy Wagner), and a clubhouse plus. Brewers players were practically in tears over his deadline deal. He’s not only a shutdown closer but a great gamer.
The Mets won’t be all in until 2025, but if they have baseball’s best bullpen, they transform into an instant threat. I’d say this: Plan B rocks — maybe even more than Plan A.
