Los Angeles Dodgers contract with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, following Shohei Ohtani
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers had a definitive agreement with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The press conference took place 3 hours after the team announcement. This was less than one month after another Japanese star, Shohei Ohtani, joined the Dodgers on Dec. 11. Yamamoto showed his excitement about playing with Ohtani.
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“Ohtani was not the sole reason I decided to come here”
Possibly, one of the reasons that Yamamoto moved to Dodgers was honorable Ohtani. Multiple teams offered Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he decided to join the Dodgers. However, Yamamoto said Ohtani was not the only reason to come to Los Angeles as Dodgers. Rather, he would choose the Dodgers even if a respectable person chose another team. “I wouldn’t say (Ohtani) was the sole reason I decided to come here — even if he went somewhere else, I probably would have ended up in L.A. as a Dodger,” Yamamoto said at a press conference. “But on top of that, Shohei is not only one of the best Japanese players, but he’s also one of the best players in all of MLB. (according to a video of the Dodgers’ press conference)
The Dodgers signed to a 12-year, $325 million contract
Surprisingly, the Dodgers spent an immense amount of money on this contract again. The team announced the signing of the splendid pitcher Yamamoto and agreed to a 12-year, $325 million contract, including a $50 million signing bonus. This topped Gerrit Cole, who dealt with the New York Yankees, $324 million in 2019. As a side note, the contract of Shohei Ohtani with the Dodgers was a 10-year, $700 million, which made history for MLB.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one of the best pitchers in NPB history
Yamamoto,25, played as the Orix Buffaloes of the NPB, Nippon Professional Baseball from 2017 to 2023. Debuted at 18 years old, he got multiple titles. In addition, Yamamoto is one of the two best pitchers who won three MVP awards in the league. Another pitcher is Ichiro Suzuki, who played for the Mariners, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins in his MLB career.
Published by HOLR Magazine.