MLB rumors: Yoshinobu Yamamoto has dinner with the Mets; Padres’ payroll might be lower than expected

Major League Baseball tends to go quiet around the holidays. There’s still a week before then, however, during which you can expect more notable free-agent signings and trades, as well as a flurry of juicy rumors to pass the time. Below, CBS Sports has compiled all the notable news, notes, and rumors from Sunday.

Yamamoto dines with the Mets

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto had dinner on Saturday at Mets owner Steve Cohen’s house. Other invited guests included Cohen’s wife, Alex, president of baseball operations David Stearns, manager Carlos Mendoza, and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.

Yamamoto, who is expected to receive a contract worth more than $300 million according to what league sources have told CBS Sports, is considered one of the best pitchers in the world. The Mets, along with the Yankees and Dodgers, have long been identified as the three favorites to land him.

Padres’ payroll to remain lower than anticipated?

The Padres may have lower sights for their offseason spending than previously expected. The Athletic’s Dennis Lin reported on Saturday that the Padres could keep their final 2024 payroll under $200 million — a figure that had previously been suggested as a goal of sorts.

The Padres have already bid adieu to a number of players this winter for cost-related purposes. They traded Juan Soto to the Yankees as part of a mammoth deal, and declined their sides of options on several members of their starting rotation. 

San Diego’s cost-cutting comes months after the team took out a loan to help cover payroll late in the year. Subsequently, the Padres were expected to reduce their payroll by about 20%. 

Currently, the Padres are sporting a projected payroll around $150 million. As such, they do have some financial wiggle room to make additions — just, perhaps, not as much as previously thought.

Giants interested in Imanaga

The Giants have already signed one international free agent this week, inking South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year deal worth more than $110 million. If they get their way, they’ll soon add another.

That’s because the Giants are among the teams interested in Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Imanaga is believed to be drawing widespread interest, with the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, and Tigers also being identified as potential suitors. 

Imanaga was ranked by CBS Sports as the 42nd best free agent available this winter. Here’s what we wrote at the time:

Imanaga, previously part of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars rotation, loves his low-90s fastball. He threw it around 60% of the time last season, all the while posting a usage rate above 15% on just one other offering, his slider. Imanaga relies on coercing outside-the-zone swings on his heater, something he did to great effect in Japan. It’s to be seen if their American counterparts give pursuit as often. Imanaga generated close to 40% whiffs on his slider, and he may need to balance his arsenal more to be effective as a MLB starter.

The Giants will be without veteran Alex Cobb for at least the start of the season after he underwent hip surgery. That leaves San Francisco with few certainties in their rotation beyond Logan Webb.

Marlins, Royals discussed Luzardo deal

The Royals have added several veterans to their roster this winter, signing Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, among others. It turns out that Kansas City had tried to add a different pitcher during the winter meetings, engaging the Marlins in talks that would have swapped first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for left-hander Jesús Luzardo, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.

Rosenthal adds that the Royals-Marlins talks do not appear to be ongoing, though Luzardo remains a person of interest for other teams. It’s not hard to understand why.

Luzardo, 26, is under team control through the 2026 season. In parts of three seasons with the Marlins, he’s posted a 3.99 ERA (109 ERA+) and a 3.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His contributions have been worth 5.5 Wins Above Replacement. 

Royals GM J.J. Picollo told reporters that he’s “content” with what the Royals have done this winter, indicating that the flashiest part of Kansas City’s offseason may already be in the books.