After Yoshinobu Yamamoto held in-person meetings with teams, the group of reported finalists over the past week were the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays.
Each of the aforementioned teams were also connected to Shohei Ohtani at various points this offseason, and that free agency process ended with the Dodgers signing the two-way star to a 10-year, $700 million contract.
Weeks later, the Dodgers reportedly came to terms with Yamamoto on a 12-year, $325 million deal. The Dodgers additionally are going to owe $50.6 million to the Orix Buffaloes as a posting fee.
According to Andy Martino of SportsNet New York, the Mets made the same contract offer to Yamamoto but the Yankees trailed behind:
Bidding for Yoshinobu Yamamoto intensified on Thursday, when the Mets pushed their bid from the high $200 million range to $325 million over 12 years, according to league sources. Shortly after, the Yankees offered Yamamoto $300 million over 10 years, per those sources.
Despite the Mets’ offer, it was the Dodgers and Yankees who Yamamoto ultimately decided between:
Indeed, the two finalists for Yamamoto were the Yankees and Dodgers, per sources.
While much is being made of the Dodgers signing Ohtani and Yamamoto, they have done so without needing to outmuscle their competition financially. A lot has been made of the deep pockets of the Dodgers ownership group, but their front office and organizational structure are proving to be significant factors.
Ohtani specifically mentioned his philosophy and competitive desire aligning well with the Dodgers, and he was part of their Yamamoto recruiting effort.
Comparatively, the Mets reportedly attempted to lure Yamamoto away from the Dodgers by in part using Ohtani’s presence on the team as a negative.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto signs richest contract for pitcher
Yamamoto’s contract with the Dodgers is the richest ever for a pitcher in MLB history and also the longest. Gerrit Cole previously held the MLB record with his $324 million contract from the Yankees in 2019.
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!
