There is a thick cloud of speculations around free agency this year as some of the most potent players are going to be free agents. Fans have been trying to find the most suitable landing spot for them. Among them, a young Japanese pitcher is going to make his way to the MLB with some incredible league stats. While there are already potent teams that are going to chase him, Boston Red Sox’s name has once again emerged at the top of the list after their Japanese player shared his sincere feelings.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be joining MLB in 2024. Yamamoto is undoubtedly one of the most highly sought-after free agents of this season. With his two no-hitter games and an amazing season stat, this young player has left a mark already. Though multiple teams are interested, fans assume the Red Sox will be given priority after Masataka Yoshida shares a positive message about the team.

Will Yamamoto’s free agency be impacted by Masataka Yoshida’s message?

Weeks after their playoff elimination, Masataka Yoshida shared his thoughts on the team. He shared his gratefulness with the fans while portraying the team in a positive light. Sharing a tweet, the 30-year-old Japanese player wrote, “It was a real honor to play for the Boston Red Sox during my first season in the Majors and it was so exciting to play at such an amazing ballpark in front of the most passionate fans in baseball.”

Yoshida debuted this year in MLB with the Red Sox. As he’s a Japanese player, fans assume his words may affect the thinking of Yamamoto. Besides being Japanese, there’s a stronger connection the 30-year-old outfielder has with the rising star. Like the latter, the former was also part of the Orix Buffaloes in the NPB league. So, both have played together for a long time. Reportedly, they are even close friends. So, naturally, fans think maybe Masataka’s praise will give the Red Sox an edge in the race to acquire Yamamoto. The Japanese pitcher may consider the team as a suitable place to start his MLB career over others.

Though what the pitcher himself is thinking about his free agency is still unknown, speculations have been in favor of Boston. However, with his potential already demonstrated in NPB, there are more renowned franchises that will be happy to offer him a position.

Red Sox’s lower rank could be a problem

Well, they are actually at quite a lower rank. If one carefully analyzes, the two New York Teams have an edge here. While Brian Cashman’s presence during Yamamoto’s second No-Hitter game raised the chances of the New York Yankees chasing him, the New York Mets are not behind. The Mets also need a good pitcher to improve their team, and who can be a better option than Yamamoto? Going Forward, there are more teams in the race. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs are also on the list.

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With a career stat like Yamamoto’s, teams will definitely want to have him. However, sometimes words from a close friend really work. So, only time will tell if the positive words of Masataka Yoshida impacted Yamamoto’s decision or not.

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