Cubs reportedly face crowded field in Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes

Cubs reportedly face crowded field in Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Chicago Cubs have been connected to free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto multiple times, and while a recent report has reiterated that, they are not the only team interested.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the Cubs are keen on signing the 25-year-old hurler, but they face competition from other major market teams.

Among these teams are the Los Angeles Dodgers, who, according to Heyman, could be the only team looking to sign both Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani in the same offseason.

The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox are also in contention for Yamamoto’s services.

It’s uncommon for such a young pitcher to be posted by a Japanese team, but that is precisely what the Orix Buffaloes did this week. In seven seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, Yamamoto has an impressive 70-29 record with a 1.82 ERA, and has struck out 922 batters in 897 career innings.

His fastball averages 95-to-97 miles per hour, and there are reports suggesting he could command $200 million or more on the open market.

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