The Phillies extended an offer to Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The Phillies have made a formal contract offer to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Matt Gelb of The Athletic writes. While the conditions have not been reported, Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer He wrote earlier in the week that the club was planning to be aggressive in its pursuit of the NPB star.

It is noteworthy, though not surprising, that the Phillies have put a formal proposal on the table. However, both Gelb and Coffey point out that the Phillies offer is unlikely to be the highest Yamamoto has received. Gelb adds that team officials aren’t sure how interested the pitcher is in Philadelphia.

It’s all in line with previous reports that portray the Phils as a relatively long shot between the seven known finalists: the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Blue Jays and Red Sox are the others. Yamamoto did not stop in Philadelphia as part of his North American tour, but rather met with club staff in Los Angeles.

Of course, the starting point for most free agents is financial. If the Phillies end up with less than the highest offers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him sign elsewhere. Philadelphia doesn’t necessarily need a starting pitcher. Front five of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Goalkeeper Suarez, Taiguan Walker And Christopher Sanchez strong. Prospect Mick Appel He could make his way into the mix midseason. Even if there’s no doubt the group would improve by adding the NFL’s best player, other clubs may feel more urgency to lead the market.

The Dodgers are reportedly considering an offer between $250 million and $300 million. SNY Andy Martino He said last night that the Mets were making a “very serious offer” of their own. Most or all of the seven clubs the 25-year-old has recently met are likely to make an offer this week.

Yamamoto has until the evening of January 4 to sign. He is not expected to wait that long. There has been speculation that he may make his decision by the end of the week, although that is not guaranteed. New York Post’s John Heyman chirp This evening, while one executive involved in the bidding predicted Yamamoto would sign before Christmas, another suggested he could even trade just before the end of the year.