Mets fans disappointed as Steve Cohen fails to land highly-coveted Yoshinobu Yamamoto

New York Mets lose out on Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the Los Angeles Dodgers despite reportedly matching their offer.

The New York Mets' quest to acquire Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto has come to an unsuccessful end, as the 25-year-old highly sought-after pitcher has reportedly agreed to join the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Mets were believed to be one of the three finalists, along with their rivals the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the team's owner, Steve Cohen, failed to secure the former NPB superstar to join their roster.

Reports indicate that the Japanese pitcher signed a massive 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers, with the deal potentially reaching $375 million when factoring in the additional $50.6 million posting fee to the Orix Buffaloes.

Despite Yamamoto's decision to join the Dodgers, it's been reported that the Mets matched the Dodgers' offer for the starting pitcher. Cohen reportedly offered a 12-year deal, which exceeded the 10-year, $300 million offer from the Yankees. However, many Mets fans feel that the team could have gone even further to outbid the Dodgers and secure Yamamoto.

Earlier this year, Cohen flew to Japan to meet with the Japanese star in an effort to persuade him to come to New York. Yamamoto even reportedly had dinner at Cohen's house last week, indicating the team's strong pursuit of the 25-year-old pitcher.

Despite Cohen's efforts, it seems that the Dodgers were the preferred destination for Yamamoto. With the pitcher signing for the Dodgers, the Mets may now shift their focus to other top free-agent starting pitchers, such as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. However, Cohen is likely to face tough competition from the Yankees, who are also in search of pitching talent for their rotation.

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