MLB rumors: Moat valuable player’s contract now expected to exceed $300 million

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was always going to command a high price if he made the leap to the MLB, but the Japanese star’s asking price may have just increased.

In light of Shohei Ohtani’s recent $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and rumors of some of the league’s richest teams vying to sign Yamamoto, some within MLB expect Yamamoto’s deal to reach the 300 million dollars. Yoshinobu Yamomoto finds himself in a dream situation where the New York Yankees, Mets and Dodgers are all clamoring for his services… The price for Yamomoto, including postage, will likely reach $300 million, he said a senior MLB official. – Bob Nightengale, USA TodayYamamoto’s agent will likely use Ohtani’s agreement to argue that the asking price for his client’s services just increased. Since Ohtani is a high-level pitcher and hitter who makes about $70 million a year, it’s fair to say he’s paid $35 million a year for each skill. Combined with other recent contracts for elite pitchers in that range, Yamamoto could easily be worth between $30 and $35 million per year. With the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Dodgers, three of baseball’s biggest spenders, all reportedly having a stake in Yamamoto, his price could skyrocket. And in this sense, Yamamoto’s agent can oppose all parties in the negotiations. Before Ohtani’s deal and rumors of Yamamoto’s market revaluation, the alleged price for Yamamoto’s services was estimated at between $200 million and $250 million. The Mets need to make a splash in 2023 after a terrible season, but they’ve already waived Ohtani and Juan Soto this offseason. The Yankees will have to rebuild most of their pitching depth to the big league level after trading away one of their starters and a key candidate for Soto. And the Dodgers made it clear after signing Ohtani that they would do everything they could to win a championship, and his contract was negotiated to give the team flexibility to add other players like Yamamoto. These three teams are motivated to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto and have money to spend, and these factors could easily lead to the Japanese superstar signing a deal worth over $300 million.