How the Mets Can Move Forward After Yoshinobu Yamamoto's Tough Choice

The Mets tried hard to get Yoshinobu Yamamoto on their team but didn't succeed. Yamamoto decided to join the Los Angeles Dodgers for a huge 12-year, $325M contract. The Mets were willing to offer the same amount, as reported by Mike Puma from the New York Post.

New York really wanted Yamamoto because he's a great pitcher from Japan. He could have been a key player for the Mets for many years. Now that he's chosen another team, the Mets need to think of another plan.

The Mets' owner, Steve Cohen, wants to make choices that help the team for a long time, not just for a short while. He said to the New York Post that they won't rush into decisions just to make headlines. There are different ways to make a team successful.

The Mets might not choose older pitchers like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, who are 31 and 30 years old, even though they are good. But that doesn't mean the Mets won't sign any new players.

Here are three pitchers the Mets might think about:

Brandon Woodruff | free agent

Woodruff might not play for the Mets in 2024 because he's recovering from surgery. But he could be great for them in 2025 and after. He's a good pitcher who played for the Brewers before. He had a lot of success there. The Mets' team leader, David Stearns, knows Woodruff from their time together in Milwaukee. Since Woodruff might not play this year, the Mets might get a good deal on signing him for several years.

Shota Imanaga |  Japan

Since the Mets missed out on one Japanese pitcher, they might look at another. Imanaga is a strong player from Japan. He played really well this season with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars team. He's known for throwing fast and making batters miss. Imanaga could get a deal like another Japanese player, Kodai Senga, who joined the Mets last year.

Lucas Giolito | free agent

The Mets recently signed a pitcher, Luis Severino, who had a tough year. Now, they might consider Giolito, who's also looking for a new team. Giolito had a hard season in 2023, but he played well in the years before. He's also known for being a reliable player, starting many games in his career.