Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mets’ Owner Steve Cohen Share Dinner Amidst Increasing Interest, No Formal Offer Yet

Has Shyamalan written the script for the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes? The twists seem endless in this saga. Now that the 25-year-old is at the final stages of his free agency, it’s getting intense.  One of his biggest suitors, the New York Mets is going all in on the ace. As a top insider recently reported, Yamamoto and Mets owner Steve Cohen had dinner together. Could this be the watershed moment in this saga?

This would be the second meeting between the two. A few weeks ago, Cohen flew to Japan to join Yamamoto for a meal. As it stands, the richest man in baseball is giving a personal touch to his team’s quest for a potential superstar. But surprisingly the Amazin’ Mets haven’t moved forward in one key aspect of this deal.

Top Insider tweets about Yoshinobu Yamamoto meeting Steve Cohen

While Yamamoto has talked to at least 13 teams during his preliminary talks, as of right now the biggest favorites in his sweepstakes are the New York Yankees, the Mets, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. While all three of them have met with Yamamoto, it seems Cohen may have struck a chord with the 25-year-old. As insider Andy Martino tweeted, the two shared dinner last night in Cohen’s house but in a surprising turn of events even after meeting twice, the Mets are yet to make an offer.

Even though the Amazin’ Mets have been after Yamamoto since the day he entered the States, they have remained rather quiet. The ownership is arguably the richest in the league. As a result, the team has become an attractive option for players. Perhaps that’s what they’re banking on here while going for Yamamoto.

Yet the high payroll of the Mets has made this deal a little difficult. They are reportedly paying close to $80 million to Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to play elsewhere. Thus, they might not have much financial flexibility in this offseason. What if that is the reason why the Mets haven’t offered a contract to Yamamoto yet?

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

But maybe the Mets shouldn’t wait for long as there are other suitors for Yamamoto as well.

Insider claims there are six more suitors for the ace

Top Insider Jon Heyman called this a nice sign for the Mets but then mentioned that there are at least 6 more teams in the Yamamoto sweepstakes. Earlier he had called the Dodgers and Yankees as the co-favorites, now as it stands the competition for Yamamoto is intense. Though the Mets haven’t made an offer reportedly others have.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden revealed that Yamamoto has received $300 million+ offers from the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants. Could this lead to alarm bells ringing for the Mets? For how long will the team postpone making their offer?

Things are certainly heating up in this story.

Read more: Mets and Yankees Consider Japanese Ace Fallback, With $300 Million Yoshinobu Yamamoto Sweepstakes Heating Up