5 no-brainer Mets roster decisions to make this offseason

2) It’s a no-brainer for the NY Mets to outbid everyone for Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has become the top free agent target for Mets fans. Many of us haven’t watched a game of his outside of a few highlights. We’re busy people. We trust the numbers, the accolades, and the people who insist he’s going to help save this rotation.

It’s the starting rotation where the Mets need the most assistance. Other than Kodai Senga and maybe Jose Quintana, there isn’t a whole lot to like about what they can offer. Sure, we can hold our breath for a youngster like Mike Vasil to help out. A more obvious approach is to land one of the best free agent pitchers out there, Yamamoto.

Yamamoto slides in nicely for a couple of reasons that don’t even require a deeper dive. Coming over from Japan, his familiarity with the six-man rotation matches well with Senga. The Mets could and probably should consider going with one on a regular basis while using the off-days to occasionally skip over their weaker arms.

There’s also the matter of the qualifying offer. Because he’s not an active MLB player, it’s not available to him. The Mets won’t lose a draft pick by signing him. Automatically, this makes him a top target of theirs.