The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the second major sweepstakes of the MLB offseason, landing Japanese right hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a contract reportedly worth more than $300 million.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news on Thursday night that Yamamoto was signing with LA for 12 years and $325 million, joining his fellow countryman Shohei Ohtani in blue — and giving the two-way star another reason to enjoy his time at the Rams-Saints game on Thursday night.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto was always expected to get a massive deal after posting a 1.16 ERA, 0.884 WHIP and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings rate in Japan last year. But the Dodgers spending more than $1 billion this offseason on just two players is a bit harder to process.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto's deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the largest contract for a pitcher in Major League Baseball history, beating Gerrit Cole's deal by $1 million. Furthermore, the Dodgers will pay an additional $50.6 million in posting fee. Total outlay: 12 years, $375M.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 22, 2023
Acquiring Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Yamamoto puts an already World Series-caliber roster into the stratosphere. Or at least it does on paper, anyway.
Baseball fans tried to take it all in.
No deferrals in Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325M contract with Dodgers, per source. Signing bonus of $50M.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 22, 2023
the funniest outcome here is the dodgers spend all this money and still don’t win a world series because sports are weird
— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) December 22, 2023
The Dodgers to the rest of the league this offseasonpic.twitter.com/vmd7aNuy0k
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) December 22, 2023
I do not think Shohei Ohtani carries a metaphysical curse that prevents him from playing for a winning team. Nor do I hope for him to carry such a curse.
But it would be extremely funny if the Dodgers somehow connived to finish under .500 after all this— Michael Baumann (@MichaelBaumann) December 22, 2023
The Dodgers have spent more than $1.1 billion this winter with the signings of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow.
Unreal offseason.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 22, 2023
So the Dodgers spend more than one billion dollars to sign Ohtani and Yamamoto. Obviously, Ohtani deferred almost all of his salary. But one billion is one billion.
— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) December 22, 2023
— MLB (@MLB) December 22, 2023
YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO AND SHOHEI OHTANI WILL BE MAKING A COMBINED $1 BILLION+ 💰 pic.twitter.com/LCHcxWsE0U
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 22, 2023
If it's the same salary for each of the 12 years, he'll be the 25th-highest paid player in baseball in 2024 (so far). Pretty much any team could have done this. https://t.co/9f4j1p7Mb4
— Patrick Nolan (@SoxMach_pnoles) December 22, 2023
the Dodgers really spent a Billion dollars on 2 guys https://t.co/VaDzaF0zbO
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) December 22, 2023
The Dodgers just spent over a billion dollars on two players. We will never live to see another team ball out like that in the same offseason for as long as we live.
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) December 22, 2023
THE DODGERS HAVE MOVED TO +425 TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES AFTER SIGNING YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dfU0ao7z6N
— br_betting (@br_betting) December 22, 2023
Got one with your name on it too, Yoshinobu. pic.twitter.com/7xr0ds7RDE
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
If you're hating on the Dodgers because of what they can spend, please don't forget that nearly every MLB team could do this… Please don't forget that.
Playing Monopoly and playing well. #Jealous
— Michael Bolling (@mikealexbolling) December 22, 2023
March 2023: Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto help Japan win World Baseball Classic
December 2023: Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto sign with Dodgers pic.twitter.com/CkWyhDpZgv
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 22, 2023
thinking ahead to the 2025 Dodgers, and beyond:
no team has ever had 2 Japanese-born pitchers with 150+ strikeouts in the same season
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) December 22, 2023
