New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler has built a reputation as one of the top acquirers of Japanese talent. He was the man to sign Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Angels before winning the Kodai Senga sweepstakes with New York over the winter.
Now it appears as though there is another Japanese starlet that the Mets are keeping tabs on with Eppler already being deployed onto the scene.
Per SNY’s Andy Martino, Eppler has already been to Japan to watch 24-year-old ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is currently plying his trade as the ace for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
The right-hander has been superb since making his professional debut in 2017 as an 18-year-old, going 63-26 with a 1.93 ERA and a 0.937 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings during his career with 4.51 strikeouts for every walk issued.
A scout speaking with Martino compared Yoshinobu to former Mets pitcher Chris Bassitt “with more velo,” suggesting an expanded arsenal of pitches with a better fastball that could project him as a No. 2 or 3 starter within a major-league rotation.
With it comes an expected price tag that will be significantly higher than the 30-year-old Senga’s five-year, $75 million pact that he signed with Eppler during the offseason.
Considering Eppler’s prowess in signing Japan’s top talent and the familiarity that would come with having Senga in the rotation to help the transition to the United States, the Mets are considered an early favorite for Yoshinobu.
Granted, the future of the starting rotation in Queens is very much uncertain with two weeks to go before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.
With the Mets seemingly out of playoff contention this season, the rumor mill regarding the possible trading of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer in the coming days is only gaining more steam.
If Eppler does facilitate a move for both aging starts, the Mets are realistically left with a rotation of Senga, Jose Quintana, David Peterson, and Tylor Megill heading toward the offseason with Carlos Carrasco’s contract expiring at the end of the year.
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