Amidst the hullabaloo of the rising free agency price on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, an interesting prediction surfaces. A certain MLB insider apparently believes that Yamamoto’s deal can lean on even that of the New York Yankees’ record highest to date. Does that statement hold any semblance of truth?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been garnering a barrage of attention since his free agency initiation. The 25-year-old slugger has proven his credibility in the field of NPB before. It seems like he is already razing a fiery storm across the MLB, even before his majors debut. Has the new claim added any kindling to it?

An interesting turn of events in the high-stakes Yoshinobu Yamamoto market

Jeff Passan, a top MLB insider and ESPN columnist, recently revealed some interesting speculation in a piece from today. He said that Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s impending deal can go head-to-head with the biggest Yankees pitcher transaction in existence. 

Yamamoto’s draft value reaching the $200 million threshold has become old news by now. However, Passan says that many MLB executives have indicated that the offer can reach up to $250 million. “It’s more than conceivable that he receives the second-largest contract handed to a pitcher, behind Gerrit Cole’s $324 million deal with the Yankees,” Passan wrote.

The first place is secured by the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole signing, which came for a hefty price of $324 million for a nine-year term. There are also chances that the Yanks may make a similar move on Yamamoto. The $50 million surge also indicates that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will earn a $39.38 million posting fee for his native club, the Orix Buffaloes. His records with them only prove that the prediction weighs well against his past performances.

Yamamoto racked up three back-to-back League MVPs and Sawamura Awards for the Buffaloes. The right-handed pitcher won 16 over 6, scoring a 0.884 WHIP and 1.48 ERA (the best in the league) across 164 innings this season. Nothing can further act as evidence of the efficiency the ace is bringing to the major leagues.

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Considering the recent changes, which team you think Yamamoto will be best suited for? Let’s delve into that in the comments box given below!

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