Mets Star Reportedly Has Helped New York Recruit Phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto

It sounds like the Mets are doing everything they can to land Yamamoto right now

The New York Mets are looking to improve their rotation by landing the top starting pitcher available on the open market. 

Orix Buffaloes phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of the most intriguing free agents in years. He is just 25 years old but already is more accomplished than most pitchers his age. Yamamoto is going to make the jump to Major League Baseball in 2024 and there are a handful of teams heavily pursuing him at this moment. 

Yamamoto is such an intriguing free agent that he has a chance to land the largest deal for a pitcher in baseball history -- not including two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. 

New York has been one of the most active suitors for Yamamoto and owner Steve Cohen even had dinner with the young star at his home this past weekend.

The Mets clearly view Yamamoto as the real deal and are doing everything they can to have a chance at landing him. New York star hurler Kodai Senga even reportedly is recruiting Yamamoto to the Mets, according to the New York Post's Mike Puma. 

"Senga has helped in the Mets’ recruitment of Yamamoto, according to a source," Puma said. "Senga’s presence on the team would seemingly be a selling point to Yamamoto (who has indicated he’s not against the idea of joining a team that has another Japanese player).

"But it should also be noted that Senga can potentially opt out from his contract following the 2025 season, so Yamamoto might not put much weight on Senga’s presence. The Mets still have multiple spots to fill in a rotation that includes Senga, Jose Quintana, and Luis Severino."

While it's unclear where Yamamoto will land, it's clear the Mets are doing everything they can at this point.