Continuing a historic offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced a 12-year deal with Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on this day in 2023.
Yamamoto joined the Dodgers organization as the most decorated starting pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball history. His contract worth $325 million over 12 years is the richest ever handed out to a pitcher in MLB history, eclipsing Gerrit Cole’s $324 million deal with the New York Yankees.
Yamamoto’s first taste of Major League Baseball had several chapters, including a rocky debut start in South Korea, where he allowed five earned runs in his one inning of work.
Yamamoto landed on the injured list in early July with a right triceps issue. He also dealt with a rotator cuff strain at the time, leading to a fair amount of concern of a strong return in 2024.
He was activated off the 60-day IL in September, providing the Dodgers with a frontend arm in their quest for a World Series title. Yamamoto went 7-2, with a 3.00 ERA, 2.61 FIP and a .226 batting average allowed.
In four postseason starts, Yamamoto went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.79 ERA over 18.2 innings pitched. Making his first World Series start in Game 2, he hushed the Yankees over 6.1 excellent innings, allowing just one hit.
His lone hiccup was a solo home run in the third inning off the bat of Juan Soto. However, the Yankees could not get a hold of another of Yamamoto’s 86 total pitches.
The 26-year-old developed a strong feel for his secondary stuff down the stretch, showcasing his wide-ranging ability to spot up any pitch in his arsenal. The Dodgers did not ask the rookie to go outside his regular schedule of pitching once per week, but when on the mound, he was masterful.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto press conference
Yamamoto agreed to sign with the Dodgers on Dec. 21, 2023, and his contract was made official six days later with the team also holding an introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium.
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