Red Sox Among 'Best Bets' To Land Young Star In Possible Game-Changing Move

Could Boston actually land the young rising star this offseason?

The Boston Red Sox may end up breaking out the checkbook very soon.

Boston needs to rebuild its starting rotation and has been targeting Orix Buffaloes phenom, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The 25-year-old has been pursued by seemingly most of Major League Baseball at this point so it's unclear where he will land.

The only things that are certain is Yamamoto is going to land a massive contract and will sign with a club this offseason. Boston has been mentioned among the favorites to land his services on numerous occasions at this point and the speculation is showing no sign of slowing down.

ESPN's David Schoenfield compiled a list of predictions for the top remaining free agents and mentioned the Red Sox among the "best bets" section to land Yamamoto this winter.

"Best bets: New York Mets, (New York Yankees), (Los Angeles Dodgers), Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays," Schoenfield said. "At the start of the offseason, predictions for Yamamoto -- who has won the Sawamura Award as the best pitcher in Japan the past three seasons -- estimated a contract just north of a $200 million deal, or $30 million or so per season. Now that number appears to be inching closer to $300 million and maybe beyond.

"Gerrit Cole is the only pitcher who has ever received a $300 million deal, signing a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees in 2020 (Cole, by the way, has an opt-out after the 2024 season). The only other pitcher to top even $220 million is Stephen Strasburg, who signed a $245 million deal with the Nationals after he pitched them to the World Series title in 2019 (and then barely pitched again)."

This isn't the first time Boston has been mentioned with Yamamoto and it won't be the last. The young hurler is expected to meet with clubs in person this week and then will eventually make his decisions.

Red Sox fans certainly should be keeping a close eye on his sweepstakes.

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