New York Mets Have Made Contract Offer To Top Free Agent Choice

Figures have been discussed.

According to Andy Martino of SNY, the New York Mets made an offer to Japanese superstar free agent starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

As Martino elaborated, the Mets made this offer prior to traveling out to Japan to meet with Yamamoto several weeks ago. However, they did not make another offer during their latest meeting with the star pitcher. That said, they are expected to be "financially aggressive."

Yamamoto had dinner at Mets owner Steve Cohen's house over the weekend. The dinner occurred on Saturday night, and president of baseball operations David Stearns, manager Carlos Mendoza and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner were present. Yamamoto met with the New York Yankees for a second time on Sunday.

Per Martino, several other teams made Yamamoto an offer in the early stages of meetings to show their seriousness. He also reported that the 25-year-old could make his decision this week.

It's no secret that Yamamoto is the Mets' top free agent priority, as they are in desperate need of an ace at the top of their rotation. Fellow Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga has also been recruiting Yamamoto to Queens, as Mike Puma of The New York Post reported.

Yamamoto is expected to receive a contract in the $300 million range.

If the Mets miss out on Yamamoto, they will have a gaping hole in their rotation, and are not expected to pivot to Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery.