Mets Star Reportedly Recruiting Top Free Agent Ace To Join New York

Will the Mets actually land the top available pitcher this offseason?

The New York Mets have a very intriguing offseason ahead of them.

After winning just 75 games in 2023, changes need to be made. New York already has gotten a head start by hiring president of baseball operations David Stearns and he will need to make some serious roster decisions. New York has money to spend but it's unclear how big the club will go this offseason.

New York may not go on the same spending sprees it has over the last few years, but the Mets will be busy. New York already has been linked to numerous stars and one move that makes perfect sense would be landing Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old is a star in the making and the Mets have been mentioned as a possible fit on multiple occasions. Plus, Mets hurler Kodai Senga reportedly has been recruiting the young ace, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon.  

"At the end of the regular season, league sources said, Senga vocalized wanting Yamamoto to Mets management," Sammon said. "Senga has also made that desire known in Japan, which is important and rare. He wants to win. 

"Senga's experience with the Mets so far has helped him gain greater understanding of the value of starting pitching in (Major League Baseball) plus he appreciates the way the club handled his transition. He can pitch Yamamoto to the Mets. He can pitch the Mets to Yamamoto."

Yamamoto will be the most sought-after hurler this offseason not named Shohei Ohtani. He is younger than the other top arms available in free agency and has a career 1.72 ERA in seven professional seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. A handful of teams have been mentioned as a fit for Yamamoto but no team makes more sense than the Mets. It's too early to know if a move will happen but it certainly could.