Red Sox Continue To Be Linked To Top International Free Agent On Market
The Boston Red Sox's demise this season was led by their faltering rotation which will need to be almost completely revamped this winter.
With James Paxton headed toward free agency, Brayan Bello is the only reliable pitcher on the staff entering 2024. A way to quickly boost the rotation would be to add the top international player expected to join the market this offseason. Fortunately, there is a solid chance the young star will end up in Boston.
"Yamamoto is expected to be posted by the Orix Buffaloes this offseason, adding another intriguing arm to the free-agent market," MLB.com's Mark Feinsand wrote Tuesday. "The 25-year-old has won both Pacific League MVP honors and the Sawamura Award (Japan’s version of the Cy Young) in each of the past two years, and scouts believe he can immediately jump into the No. 1 or 2 spot in a big league rotation the way Masahiro Tanaka did with the Yankees nearly a decade ago."
Feinsand listed the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox as possible fits.
The Red Sox have been heavily rumored to be involved in the upcoming free-agent sweepstakes for Yamamoto. Boston has been spotted scouting Yamamoto all season, including as recently as a few days ago.
Yamamoto has a 1.42 ERA with a 128-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.93 WHIP in 127 innings across 18 games this season in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. He's been a dominant performer in the NPB for years and is expected to be a force in Major League Baseball as well.
The right-hander played alongside Red Sox star Masataka Yoshida both with the Buffaloes and in the World Baseball Classic. Ideally, he'd be a part of the recruiting pitch.
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