Texas Rangers, MLB Wait on Yoshinobu Yamamoto Before Next Moves

After the signing of Shohei Ohtani, Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is likely the next big-ticket free agent that needs to come off the board to help set the market.

Not that Shohei Ohtani is off the board and out of the American League West – and $700 million richer – the dominoes should begin to fall in respect to free agency and the trade market.

The Texas Rangers are monitoring it all.

The idea was that the newest Los Angeles Dodgers leading man would help set the market for hitters and pitchers alike. Well, Ohtani is playing in a financial ballpark that’s never been seen before in professional sports, but that doesn’t mean the bank is closed.

Hardly.

Jordan Montgomery is among the free-agent pitchers that could see their value impacted by the signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to be the next major catalyst for deals. The coveted pitcher from Japan may command a contract in the $200-300 million range, with many of the failed Ohtani suitors at the head of the line. Expect the New York Yankees, who meet with Yamamoto on Monday, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets to be in the mix.

The signing of Yamamoto should open the pitching floodgates, and give the Rangers a better idea of what it will take to sign their free-agent priority Jordan Montgomery. Several starters linked to Texas via trade could also be on the move soon.

MLB.com addressed the pitching market in examining what’s next:

The pitching market? That’s another story altogether. Yamamoto is the domino that must fall before that begins to open up, and while there’s no timeline for him to make his decision, the process is moving along.

Once Yamamoto makes his choice, reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, a major contributor to the Rangers’ World Series run in 2023, are likely to see their markets begin to clarify, while teams with prime pitching trade candidates – the White Sox (Dylan Cease), Rays (Tyler Glasnow) and Brewers (Corbin Burnes) – could also see those markets begin to take better shape with clubs that miss out on Yamamoto.

The Rangers would be prime candidates to land Cease, Glasnow or Burnes, especially if the market for Montgomery doesn’t make monetary sense. Texas general manager Chris Young has said that money is no object is signing players, but acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the local broadcast deal with Bally Sports could impact the bottom line.

Much like with Ohtani, baseball is in a wait-and-see mode. Looks like Yamamoto is up next.

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