Post Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal, the biggest story remaining this offseason is the $300 million sweepstakes for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Samurai Japan ace’s free agency has seen unprecedented attention due to his notable achievements at the young age of 25. With all the preliminary talks done, the final stage of this saga is about to begin. It’ll start with his meeting with the New York Yankees, who until now seemed favorites to sign him. It’s now the moment to discover when and where their encounter will take place.

While the offseason is raging on with newfound vigor, Yamamoto remains the crown jewel for teams. With almost 14 teams after the ace, what is the current status of his free agency and where will the Bronx Bombers be meeting him? According to an MLB insider, it’s happening sooner than anticipated.

The New York Yankees meeting with the coveted free agent RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Reports emerged last Wednesday that the New York Yankees would get to give their main pitch to Yamamoto this coming Monday. The Bombers have always been the favorites to sign him due to their legacy and the 25-year-old’s interest in the pinstripes. So now that the meeting is fixed, Jon Heyman has revealed that it will be held in Los Angeles. 

It looks like Yamamoto has set LA as his base of operations for his free agency. Even though the Bronx Bombers have an apparent edge, teams like the New York Mets and LA Dodgers are also firmly in the race. 

Two weeks ago, the Mets’s owner, Steve Cohen, along with their president of baseball operations, David Stearns, took a flight to meet Yamamoto and his family in Japan. They ate French/Japanese cuisine in a meeting that was considered a success. On the other hand, the Dodgers are willing to spend even more after already getting Ohtani in a $700 million deal.

Watch This Story: Mets Gear Up For Yamamoto Showdown: Going All In Amidst Intense Yankees Pursuit

The Yankees are excited about Yamamoto’s arrival with reports emerging from them saving the no.18 shirt for the Samurai Japan ace. They had high praises for him in a recent presser.

How the Bronx Squad’s full of praises for the ace

The Yankees have been scouting Yamamoto for at least a year. Notably, Brian Cashman witnessed his no-hit game from the front row back in September. The New York Post reported that Cashman said, “We were impressed,” during last week’s winter meetings. He also praised Yamamoto by calling him a “tremendous opportunity for any team”. Even manager Aaron Boone considers him a special “front-line type starter.”

Read more: Yankees Leverages Japanese Success Stories of Hideki Matsui and Masahiro Tanaka in Aggressive Bid for Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The Yankees seem ready to exceed the maximum luxury tax threshold of $297 million in their efforts to acquire Yamamoto. As it stands, the Yankees seem awestruck with the Samurai Japan ace. Will they be able to withstand the high competition for him? That’s a big question.