After signing Shohei Ohtani and acquiring Tyler Glasnow in a trade, the Los Angeles Dodgers now have their sights on adding Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the starting rotation.
The right-hander has roughly two weeks left to sign with a team but is expected to make a decision by Christmas Day or shortly thereafter. Interested clubs were reportedly informed to submit their latest bids this week as the process comes to an end.
There is a belief Yamamoto could potentially sign one of the biggest contracts in MLB history for a starting pitcher. The current record belongs to Gerrit Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million deal with the New York Yankees in December 2019.
According to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times, the Dodgers are considering a contract offer of $300 million to Yamamoto:
The team also is believed to be considering a bid of $250 million to $300 million for Yamamoto, according to a person with knowledge of the plans but unauthorized to speak publicly, a sign of its intention to compete for another free agent attracting plenty of other big-market suitors such as the Mets and New York Yankees.
To this point, the Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets have been considered the favorites to sign Yamamoto. However, other big-market teams like the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox remain in the mix as well.
The Dodgers have the financial flexibility to sign Yamamoto thanks to the unique structure of Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract.
The two-way star will earn only $2 million per season over the life of the deal so the team can use the savings to bring in other elite players via free agency or trade.
As the Dodgers look to add another starting pitcher, Yamamoto is said to be the team’s top priority.
‘Highly significant’ Shohei Ohtani was at Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Dodgers meeting
Yamamoto has spent the past two weeks meeting with teams, including the Dodgers, which included a tour of Dodger Stadium. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Ohtani were among the players on hand for the visit.
Ohtani’s inclusion is said to be significant as he and Yamamoto have a friendship as fellow countrymen and playing together on Team Japan during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
