Japanese Superstars Continue to Dominate GM Meetings as Shohei Ohtani and His WBC Championship Teammate Earn High Praise

Echoes of cheering fans have just faded after the Texas Rangers won the World Series for the first time. As the offseason progresses, MLB managers have gathered to discuss the next season as well as the most successful path to October. All thirty GMs along with front-office executives and agents will be discussing contenders, including the two-way phenom, Shohei Ohtani. Other than the most talked about free agent, who captured most of the attention in the boardroom? 

With several free agents on the path of making an exciting turn, the market is abuzz with conversation. However, the two biggest Japanese players are stealing the show at the Omni Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the talk of the town

As the GM meeting continues, it appears that the most sought-after person amongst all is Nez Balelo. With multiple teams showing interest Shohei Ohtani may easily get a paycheck exceeding $500 million and Balelo orchestrating the deal behind the scenes. Even though Ohtani won’t be pitching next season owing to an elbow injury, he seems to be in high demand for most of the clubs. San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller said of the unicorn, “He is an unbelievable talent.” Is anyone else giving Shotime tough competition in the boardroom?

Notably, yes! One more pitcher from Japan is receiving appraisal from most officials. Orix Buffaloes right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has left his imprint on the baseball world. With three consecutive Sawamura Awards (equal to Cy Young in MLB) for the last three years, the 25-year-old is an impressive starting pitcher with a mind-boggling 1.21 ERA over 164 innings. 

The Seattle Mariners’ president of baseball operations said of Yamamoto, “He’s an exceptional talent… someone is going be very fortunate to have him come and sit at the top or near the top of their rotation.”

These Japanese ballplayers are stealing attention at the GM meeting, with Farhan Zaidi, Giants front office executive, declaring that there’s a scarcity of pitchers who can go deep into games. So when talented players are available who can give 150-200 innings, that’s a real premium for teams. 

And the 2024 season will be worth watching, as these two Nippon sensations will be found doing some yakyu magic on the field. Their agents will have some serious paperwork to do this winter, but apart from them, MLB’s super agent has been busier than most.

Scott Boras: Plenty of work in the boardroom 

With GMs appreciating Japanese talent and their representatives receiving mammoth contracts, Scott Boras has even more work on his hands. The superstar agent has some huge names to handle, from Juan Soto to J.D. Martinez.

Read More: Did MLB Change A Rule Solely To Deal With Shohei Ohtani?

Boras has it all; if a team wants someone in the batter’s box, he has players like Cody Bellinger to offer. Teams wanting an arm, Black Snell or Jordan Montgomery are backing him up. 

But apart from the 71-year-old’s elite list of clients, it’s the Japanese marvels that every GM wants a part of.

Watch This Story: AL MVP Finalists Unveiled Is Shohei Ohtani The Obvious Front Runner