The Boston Red Sox have made their move in the sweepstakes for highly-touted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Red Sox recently held a meeting with Yamamoto and a decision from the 25-year-old phenom could be imminent.

Details surrounding the timing of the meeting remain unclear. Earlier reports indicated that the Red Sox had plans to meet with Yamamoto in California. As per The Boston Globe's Alex Speier, as of Thursday, it was confirmed that the meeting had taken place or was still in the plans.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been in California this week, hosting meetings with several teams, including the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays. Reports suggest that during the Los Angeles meeting, stars like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and recent acquisition Shohei Ohtani were also present. The New York Mets had previously held a meeting with Yamamoto in December, with team owner Steve Cohen flying overseas to Japan for the occasion, as reported by The Athletic's Will Sammon.

Despite being considered a potential favorite, the Red Sox have not been viewed as frontrunners in the competition to sign Yamamoto in recent weeks. The "consensus all winter" indicated that the Mets were the top contenders, but there is now speculation that the New York Yankees have taken the lead in the race, according to Feinsand. The Yankees and Dodgers have also been touted as "co-favorites," according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

However, there was a buzz on social media on Saturday regarding a rumored offer by the Red Sox to Yamamoto surpassing $300 million. Even though Yamamoto has yet to throw a single MLB pitch, it is becoming increasingly likely that he will receive a contract in that staggering range, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

If Yamamoto secures a contract exceeding $300 million, it would potentially be the largest deal ever awarded to a pitcher in MLB history. To date, the record is held by Gerrit Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees.

The Red Sox's pursuit of Yamamoto has had ramifications for their offseason plans. The potential significant investment in Yamamoto has limited their ability to make substantial offers to pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, according to Speier.

As the decision from Yamamoto looms, it could set the wheels in motion for the Red Sox and the rest of the free-agent pitching market. If Yamamoto becomes the next big signing, Snell and Montgomery would be the remaining top options available.

Meanwhile, other potential options are dwindling for teams. The Kansas City Royals recently secured deals with Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. The Arizona Diamondbacks have already landed Eduardo Rodriguez, while Aaron Nola opted to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies early in the offseason. Additionally, Sonny Gray is one of three starting pitchers the St. Louis Cardinals have acquired through free agency in recent days.

In addition to Yamamoto, the Red Sox have also been linked to free-agent starting pitchers Shōta Imanaga and Lucas Giolito.

With Yamamoto's decision on the horizon, Red Sox fans eagerly anticipate a positive outcome, while the rest of the baseball world watches closely to see where this coveted Japanese talent will call home for the upcoming season.