San Francisco Giants

Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is being pursued by the New York Yankees, the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but those aren't the only teams in the mix.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the San Francisco Giants met with Yamamoto on Sunday.

The Giants were reportedly believed to be interested in Shohei Ohtani before he signed his historic $700 million contract with the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. It was yet another failed high-profile free agent pursuit for San Francisco, which missed out on the likes of Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Bryce Harper in recent years.

Now, the Giants have turned their attention to Yamamoto, who is arguably the most coveted pitcher available on the open market. The 25-year-old is in the prime of his career and boasts a career 70-29 record in Nippon Professional Baseball while pitching for the Orix Buffaloes. This past season, he went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA and 169 strikeouts.

Adding Yamamoto would be a major boost to a San Francisco pitching staff that ranked 23rd in the majors with an opponents' batting average of .253 in 2023. The Giants' rotation is led by Logan Webb, who finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting after his standout campaign, and 2023 All-Star selection Alex Cobb.

However, San Francisco is facing tough competition from the other teams pursuing Yamamoto. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported that the Yankees are also set to meet with Yamamoto on Monday, so it will be important for the Giants to make a good impression if they hope to be the team that lands him.

Two NL West rivals are keeping an eye on the centerfield market, including Harrison Bader and Jung Hoo Lee.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres are "active" on centerfielders right now, with Bader cited as a potential option.

Lee, who was posted by the Kiwoom Heroes on Monday, was also cited as being a player of interest to both clubs.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network reported on Wednesday that things "are already percolating" for Lee, with the Padres cited as a potential landing spot if they finalized the Juan Soto trade.

Soto was officially traded to the New York Yankees late Wednesday night in a seven-player deal that sent four pitchers and catcher Kyle Higashioka to San Diego.

The Giants' fascination with Lee dates back almost one year, at least. They had a scout in South Korea watching him take batting practice in preseason camp in February.

Lee has a long track record of success in the KBO, including winning Rookie of the Year in 2017 and being named league MVP in 2022. The 25-year-old owns a .340/.407/.491 slash line with 65 homers and 69 stolen bases in 884 career games.

MLB.com's Michael Clair noted Lee is considered KBO's best pure hitter. He has more walks than strikeouts in each of the past five seasons and has never struck out more than 67 times in a single season.

Bader split time between the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds in 2023. He hit .232/.274/.348 with seven homers and 20 stolen bases in 98 games last season.

Among all centerfielders who have played at least 4,000 innings since 2017, Bader ranks second in FanGraphs defensive value and fourth in defensive runs saved.

The Padres had to include Trent Grisham in the Soto deal, so they need a new starting centerfielder in 2024.

Luis Matos was San Francisco's primary starter at the position last season. The 21-year-old hit just .250/.319/.342 as a rookie.

The San Francisco Giants have their sights set on reeling in a big fish this winter amid rumors linking the club to free agent superstar Shohei Ohtani.

"San Francisco is a star power town. Our front office understands that. Ownership understands that. It's something they've been trying to do here. Last year they made some big offers to a couple of guys and it didn't come to fruition," Giants manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday during an appearance on MLB Network.

"... It's a town that really wants to identify with a big-time star player, and that's what we're looking to do right now."

The Giants have been most heavily linked to Ohtani and fellow Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto this winter.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported last week that the Giants "are set on trying to acquire" either the longtime Los Angeles Angels slugger or the rising star who has spent his professional career with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.

"They're pursuing both very aggressively," Morosi said. "... The Giants are set. They are devoting their full heart and finances to landing one of Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the coming weeks."

Jon Heyman of the New York Post also reported last week that the Giants are one of a number of teams expected to be "going big" for Ohtani in free agency, though he also reported last month that Oracle Park could be an obstacle in getting the veteran slugger to sign in San Francisco.

"The Giants should be a big player for two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. But some who know Ohtani see a possible hurdle for the Giants: their ballpark," Heyman wrote.

"While Oracle Park is one of the most beautiful, it's unfriendly to lefty power hitters. Some believe Ohtani isn't in it for the money but to show he's the best (aside: I think he's already done that).

"So ballparks may be a factor."

Ohtani would be a major asset for the Giants as they aim to return to prominence after reaching the playoffs just once in the last seven seasons. They were eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2021 National League Division Series.

Ohtani will be limited to just hitting in 2024 after he underwent elbow surgery in September, though he's expected to return to the mound in 2025.

The 29-year-old is coming off a 2023 campaign that saw him hit .304/.412/.654 with 44 home runs, 95 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 135 games. He also went 10-5 on the mound with a 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 167 strikeouts in 132 innings across 23 starts en route to securing his second American League MVP award.

As for Yamamoto, 25, he has become one of the most highly sought after free agents on the market following a stellar 2023 for the Buffaloes. He went 17-6 with a 1.16 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 176 strikeouts in 171 innings across 24 games.

If the Giants land either player, they'll be in much better position to contend in 2024.

There is reportedly "an awful lot of buzz" between high-profile free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the San Francisco Giants, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Other potential suitors for Yamamoto reportedly also believe that the Giants have an "edge" for the Japanese phenom.

The 25-year-old is expected to talk with interested teams via Zoom before meeting with finalists in person after the MLB's Winter Meetings, which occur from Dec. 4 through Dec. 7 in Tennessee (via SNY's Andy Martino).

The Giants' front office hasn't been shy about their interest in Yamamoto. General manager Pete Putila and VP of pro scouting Zack Minasian traveled to Japan to attend one of his games. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi also alluded to a pursuit of Yamamoto's services prior to the start of free agency.

"There are also a lot of players from Japan and South Korea coming over that have been successful the last few years whereas 10, 15 years ago there might have been a little bit more apprehension at that risk," Zaidi said, via Taylor Wirth of NBC Sports. "I think there's enough of a track record now where if you do your homework you can have a lot of confidence in the contributions those players can make."

While Yamamoto's MLB success isn't a guarantee, his stellar track record in Japan has left scouts salivating as he owns a deep pitching arsenal that includes a lively fastball and a deadly cutter. In 23 starts last season, he finished with a record of 16-6 while maintaining an ERA of 1.21. He also struck out 169 batters in 164.0 innings.

Yamamoto's terrific 2023 campaign resulted in him being named the MVP of the Pacific League, his third consecutive season winning the award. He's expected to sign a contract worth roughly $200 million in free agency, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The San Francisco Giants are getting some help from their fanbase for their free-agent pitch to Shohei Ohtani.

Namely, Ike Shehadeh—a diehard Giants fan and founder of the local Ike's Love & Sandwiches chain—announced on social media that if the free-agent superstar makes the move up to San Francisco, he'll give the two-time American League MVP unlimited food and a signature menu item, according to TMZ Sports.

Shehadeh didn't stop there, however.

Whereas he offered similar deals to Kevin Durant and Aaron Judge in the past, he covets Ohtani so much that he even promised to rename the franchise "Shohei's Love & Sandwiches" if he decides to play for the Giants.

While this may seem a bit over the top, Ohtani's free agency may be the biggest in baseball history. He is set to earn the richest contract in MLB history, one that could be worth over a half-billion dollars, according to USA Today's Gabe Lacques.

The Giants are in the mix for the two-way superstar. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that San Francisco is one of several teams believed to be "going big" for Ohtani this winter.

The San Francisco Giants endured another disappointing season in 2023 as they played mostly mediocre baseball before missing the postseason for the second straight season.

Manager Gabe Kapler was fired before the conclusion of the season and the organization watched both two teams from its own division make the playoffs with one, the Arizona Diamondbacks, advancing to the World Series.

Determined not to have another season where players and fans watch the playoff baseball from home, and fall further into irrelevancy out west as a result, Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Giants are all-in on acquiring either Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto this offseason, specifically to help compete with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the case of Yamamoto, the Giants badly need to bolster a bullpen that was not particularly great for them in 2023. Logan Webb was a Cy Young finalist but beyond that, there was not much to be excited about.

The team ERA was 4.02 and the WHIP was 1.253, neither exactly sparkling numbers. They also allowed 173 home runs, their most since 2019.

Bringing in Yamamoto instantly enhances the rotation. At 25 years old, he is a phenom in Japan, with an ERA of 1.16 and WHIP of 0.86. He is a pitcher that can theoretically come in and right away, compete for a Cy Young.

He is that good, which explains why he is the most coveted free agent this offseason outside of Ohtani.

Speaking of the reigning American League MVP, the best player in the world is going to fetch a big-money, potentially historic deal this offseason based on his otherworldly play over the last handful of seasons.

Despite a disappointing conclusion to his 2023 that saw him undergo arm surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, he still blasted 44 home runs, drove in 95 RBIs, delivered eight triples, and stole 20 bags.

Add to that a 10-5 record with a 3.14 ERA, with 167 strikeouts, and it is readily apparent why anyone would want the greatest two-way player in the history of the game on their team.

He will not pitch until 2025 as he recovers from surgery but when completely healthy, he addresses two needs for the Giants organization, not to mention the draw that he is as an attraction.

The Dodgers have an explosive offense and the Giants need to combat that, first with quality pitching that can limit the number of runs they give up, then with a bat that can keep them in any game.

Based on everything he has shown to this point, Yamamoto can do one of the two. Ohtani can do both, but not for another year.

It will ultimately come down to whose deal fits the Giants' financial situation, but also whether the team covets pitching or offense in 2024. Regardless, if the team can make a deal for either player, there will be reason to be excited in San Francisco, and the front office will get one over the Dodgers, for the first time since the Giants won the division in 2021.