The Phillies have made a formal contract offer Yoshinobu Yamamotowrites Matt Gelb of the Athletic. While terms are not being disclosed, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote earlier this week that the club plans to be aggressive in pursuing the NPB star.
It's notable, if not surprising, that the Phillies have put an official proposal on the table. Still, both Gelb and Coffey believe it's unlikely the Phillies' offer will be the highest Yamamoto receives. Gelb added that team officials are unsure how much interest the pitcher has in Philadelphia.
This all lines up with previous reports that viewed the Phils as relative underdogs among the seven known finalists: the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Blue Jays and Red Sox are the others. Yamamoto did not stop in Philadelphia as part of his North American tour, but instead met with club staff in Los Angeles.
Of course, the starting point for most free agents is financial. If the Phillies' offer is indeed below the highest bids, it wouldn't be a surprise if he signs elsewhere. Philadelphia doesn't necessarily need a starting pitcher. A front five from Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker And Cristopher Sanchez is strong. Outlook Mick Abel could find its way into the midseason mix. While there's no question the group would be improved by adding NPB's best pitcher, other clubs may feel the need to lead the market.
The Dodgers are reportedly considering an offer that would land somewhere between $250 million and $300 million. SNY's Andy Martino said last night that the Mets themselves were putting together “a very serious offer.” Most or all of the seven clubs the 25-year-old recently met with are expected to make an offer later this week.
Yamamoto has until the evening of January 4th to sign. He is not expected to wait that long. There has been speculation that he could make a decision by the end of the week, although this is not guaranteed. Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweeted While one manager involved in the tender expected Yamamoto to sign before Christmas, another suggested he could advise until just before the end of the year.