Yamamoto, 25, is one of the most decorated pitchers in Nippon Professional Baseball history and is set to join the Majors via the posting system. He is only the second pitcher in league history to win the Sawamura Award three times in a row, the other being Masaichi Kaneda 65 years ago.
Top contenders for Yamamoto are thought to include the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Cardinals. MLB officials who saw Yamamoto pitch a no-hitter in person earlier this year included Brian Cashman of the Yankees.
Yamamoto’s guarantee is expected to surpass the five-year, $75 million deal that Kodai Senga signed with the Mets during the previous offseason, according to many MLB talent evaluators. Even if Yamamoto’s next MLB team has to pay the Buffaloes a posting fee, the fact that he won’t be receiving a draft pick will increase his market worth.
The season for Yamamoto is still ongoing. In reality, his last start didn’t go well. According to Jason Coskrey of the Japan Times, he gave up the most earned runs in any outing of his NPB career in Game 1 of the Japan Series, seven to the Hanshin Tigers. However, Yamamoto has the opportunity to cap up his Buffaloes career and season with a win.
With the relative lack of elite hitters available in free agency this offseason, Lee, 25, is a compelling option for MLB teams. The Heroes’ decision to post Lee at this time is also less than ideal because he was only able to play in 86 games this season with an.860 OPS because of a left ankle fracture he suffered halfway through the season.
Lee, a left-handed hitter, has primarily played center field in the KBO. In 2022, he hit a career high 23 home runs. In elite international competition, Lee has excelled for Korea. In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, for example, he batted .429 in four games.
