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00:03 Ushinobu Yamamoto, a very talented Japanese prospect making his way to MLB.
00:09 We have this report from Talking Yanks from Jack Curry, excuse me,
00:13 of the Yes Network that the Yankees were impressed by Yamamoto,
00:18 both as a player and as a person.
00:21 Craig, you're deep into the Major League Baseball networks of
00:25 everything that is happening right now.
00:27 What are you hearing about Yamamoto and
00:30 where he is more than likely going to sign this offseason?
00:34 >> Yeah, well, I think at this point it's fair to say, unlike Otani,
00:37 that there has been at least some information that's leaked about this with
00:41 meetings and teams that he could potentially be interested in.
00:44 We've heard the Mets, we have heard the Yankees, we've heard the Dodgers, and
00:49 we also heard recently that the Phillies made a pitch to acquire him as well.
00:53 So at this point, Ben, what has happened here is with this kind of information
00:57 leaking out, it gives some of the clubs the other opportunity, whether or
01:01 not they believe these reports, to outbid each other.
01:04 And I think that is the process that's probably ongoing right now.
01:08 It's sort of incredible to hear a player who has never played in Major League
01:11 Baseball to get close to a $300 million or $400 million contract,
01:15 whatever he's going to get, without throwing a pitch in the major leagues.
01:20 But at this point, Ben, the status of pitching in Major League Baseball is so
01:25 poor, I mean, maybe it's even worse than the state of quarterbacking in the NFL.
01:29 I mean, you just don't have pitchers that can get deep into games like this pitcher
01:34 that's about to come over to the major leagues.
01:35 So if you could almost guarantee yourself a seven inning guy or
01:39 a sixth and a third inning guy, what is that worth in baseball?
01:43 It's worth a ton, very similar to Kodai Senga, who went to the Mets last year.
01:47 So I do expect him to get the biggest contract for anyone who's come overseas,
01:52 whether or not he goes to the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, or Phillies remains to be seen.
01:56 But I do think that it's very clear with the amount of reporting that we've seen
02:00 coming out of New York,
02:01 it certainly feels like the Yankees and Mets are in the forefront of this.
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