The endgame is here. The story which has been the highlight of the entire offseason, with twists that rival the greatest thriller, is set to end soon. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has officially started taking final offers. With teams like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers considered favorites, other suitors must do something extraordinary. Looks like the New York Mets are ready to do just that.

With Jan. 4 as the deadline, teams have now begun rushing in on this 25-year-old ace. With a huge contract looking more and more likely, could the Mets use their massive financial power to tilt the interest of Yamamoto to their side?

The New York Mets are about to go all in on Yoshinobu Yamamoto 

Though rumors had emerged earlier that many teams had made offers to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, it was later revealed that most of those offers were just preliminary ones. Now that the final suitors are all that remain, things are starting to heat up. SNY’s Andy Martino has revealed that the Mets’ owner Steve Cohen “is in the process of making a very serious offer”.

Martino also stated that until now the Dodgers and Yankees were favorites, while the Mets were more “hopeful.” Though he didn’t say how big the offer could be, it can be guessed by what the competition is going for. There have been reports about what the size of Yamamoto’s contract could be.

The Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris shared that the Dodgers are considering offering between $250-$300 million to the Samurai Japan ace. Could the Amazin’ Mets’ offer be in the same vicinity? Steve Cohen is certainly deep-pocketed enough.

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A few weeks ago he flew to Japan to meet the ace and reportedly made a preliminary offer. Then some days ago Cohen and Yamamoto met for the second time over dinner but no apparent offer was made then. Now that the sweepstakes are in their final stages, how long before the answer comes?

Conflicting reports emerge regarding Yamamoto’s decision timeline

While Andy Martino believes that the decision can come by the end of this week, there are some other reports that state things can go past Christmas. There won’t be any surprise if Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s camp stretches things to the deadline. With MLB teams doing everything in their power to get the ace, things could get intense soon. 

The clock has started ticking. The question remains – will Yamamoto break the contract record for a pitcher in MLB? And will the Mets swoop in on the competition to do the unthinkable and get the ace? 

Read more: How Does Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Hype Live Up to Previous Japanese Stars – Is He the Most Sought After?