Scott McGough cites NPB experience to solidify Yoshinobu Yamamoto's credibility as Japanese pitcher's sweepstakes heats up - "He is the real deal"

If Shohei Ohtani's free agency created a frenzy among baseball fans, his compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto has also created a stir among teams hoping to strengthen their pitching in the offseason.

The Japanese ace has currently got the MLB sides at his mercy, with teams lining up to secure his services after he was officially posted earlier this year.

The five-time NPB All-Star comes with a big reputation, with several MLB analysts speculating on his ability to adjust to a new, more competitive league with bigger and more powerful hitters.

However, Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Scott McGough, who got a taste of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, shared his experience of playing against Yamamoto during his time in Japan.

"He is the real deal. I've seen him since he was 22 over there and he caught my eye," McGough said via MLB Network. "He has multiple big league elite pitches. He has pitchability. This is guy is not big, like Ohtani is a big guy. Yamamoto is not a big guy, but he is elastic, he can withstand a season. He has got great stuff, he is incredible."

Although McGough admitted the Japanese ace is not as big as Ohtani, the 25-year-old has enough in his arsenal to withstand the fierce competitiveness of MLB.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has New York clubs tied in an intense battle

A report on Sunday emerged that the 25-year-old Japanese pitcher had dinner at Mets owner Steve Cohen's house, igniting rumors of the Mets being his possible destination.

However, the Mets were one of the two New York teams meeting the pitcher, as it later emerged that the New York Yankees were also holding talks with the coveted Japanese pitcher on Sunday.

Earlier, it was reported that the Boston Red Sox had tabled an offer of around $300,000,000 to secure the services of the World Baseball Classic winner.