The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a record-setting 12-year, $325 million contract last offseason, which represented the longest and richest deal for a pitcher in MLB history.
At the time of the signing, there were some questions about how quickly Yamamoto would adjust to not only an increase in competition but starting on Major League schedule. Yamamoto pitched once per week during his time in Nippon Professional Baseball, whereas most MLB starters take the mound every four or five days.
The Dodgers ultimately kept Yamamoto on his same schedule last year due to a combination of the team’s depth and strategic planning.
However, the team considered putting Yamamoto on a traditional schedule before he went on the 15-day injured list last June with a right rotator cuff strain.
“Yeah, we talked about it a lot in Spring Training of kind of phases of the assimilation process,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman answered when asked if the team gave thought to putting Yamamoto on a five-day schedule at some point during the 2024 season.
“Him missing the time he did made that more challenging. And then it became about when he got back, was just trying to build up pitch count as much as we could in that time period. And then even looking ahead to next year, just that urgency wasn’t the same with potentially adding Shohei into the rotation.
“That urgency to do it wasn’t the same as we got there. But had he not missed the time, I’m sure we would have at some point. But we are where we are.”
Friedman’s comments suggest that Yamamoto will continue making only one start per week in his second season.
The 26-year-old is set to be part of a 2025 Dodgers rotation that should include Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and eventually Shohei Ohtani, among others.
The Dodgers are also considered the favorite to sign Roki Sasaki, who is expected to make a decision later this month.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s first season with Dodgers
Yamamoto struggled in his Dodgers debut against the San Diego Padres during the Seoul Series, but otherwise had a productive first half of the 2024 season.
After missing nearly three months with the right shoulder injury, Yamamoto returned for four starts in September and ended the regular season on a high note.
He finished 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 1.11 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine in 90 innings pitched over 18 starts.
Yamamoto went on to post a 3.86 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 15 strikeouts against six walks in four postseason starts.
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