New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns went to Japan before the winter meetings to speak with free agent pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
\"I think it demonstrates Steve\'s commitment to do everything he possibly can to bring players to New York,\" Stearns said.
Yamamoto, 25, was 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA this season for the Orix Buffaloes of Japan\'s Pacific League. He had 169 strikeouts and 28 walks in 164 innings. Major League Baseball teams have until Jan. 4 to sign him.
\"Clearly when you\'re in the middle of a big free agent pursuit, every club\'s going to meet with him,\" Stearns said. \"I try not to look at it as selling and I try to look at it as providing information about who we are as an organization and what we want to do and what we want to become.\"
Via ESPN