Blue Jays GM may not be ruling out a play for Yoshinobu Yamamoto: "We have to be open to it"

Yoshinobu Yamamoto may be the biggest Japanese player to announce an interest in moving to MLB since Shohei Ohtani did so in 2017. A domineering force in the NPB, Yamamoto is now the subject of praise from MLB teams.

A member of the Orix Buffaloes since 2017, the 25-year old Yamamoto has won a pair of MVP wards, five All-Star nods and has posted the best ERA in the league thrice.

"Here's something you don't see in MLB. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has thrown 89 pitches through six innings and he's staying loose outside the dugout before pitching the seventh inning" - Talkin' Baseball

Ahead of his anticipated signing with an MLB team this fall, the New York Yankees have been among the teams to show the most interest in Yamamoto. In August, GM Brian Cashman was in Japan to watch Yamamoto toss a no-hitter.

However, after another AL East team seemed to suggest that they're in the running for the pitching ace, so the question of Yamamoto's future is less sure.

On Nov. 8, Ben Nicholson-Smith, a reporter for the Toronto Blue Jays, shared a statement from the team's GM, Ross Atkins. Although Atkins maintained that his club is not strapped for starters, they "have to be open" to beefing up their rotation.

"#BlueJays don't necessarily need to add a starter, but will be involved in that market, Yamamoto included. Atkins.

"With our starting point of how many starters we already have in our system, we're in an area of strength. If we can improve in that area, we have to be open to it" - Ben Nicholson-Smith

Many have taken it as an indication that the Toronto Blue Jays might be interested in inking Yamamoto. However, the Jays had one of the best starting rotation last year, maintaining a 3.85 joint ERA, and featuring Kevin Gausman, whose 237 strikeouts led the AL.

The news is not anything concrete, though. With potentially several weeks remaining between Yoshinobu Yamamoto and an MLB deal, several teams will be looking to court the NPB icon. The New York Mets are among the few thought to be interested in penning Yamamoto.

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be a Cy Young calibre arm

On Nov. 4, Yamamoto struck out 14 in a complete game playoff performance for the Buffaloes.

His final start in NPB set the stage for future MLB dominance. It's unclear where the young ace could go, but the odds that he would dominate are very high.