The Dodgers sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto, spending more than $1 billion on free agents – Gudstory

Money talks. After entertaining offers from a host of clubs, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has agreed to a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The deal includes a pair of opt-outs, a $50 million signing bonus, and unlike the Shohei Ohtani deal, no deferred money, according to Jeff Passan, an MLB insider. This agreement exceeds the seven-year, $155 million contract that the New York Yankees gave Masahiro Tanaka in 2014.

Although it is not always the most reliable source, Bob Nightingale of USA Today reported that the Yankees’ offer was worth $300 million.

Yamamoto, a five-time NFL All-Star, made his debut with the Orix Buffaloes in 2017, three days after turning 19. In the past three years, the 25-year-old has won three straight Triple Crowns (best ERA, most wins, most strikeouts), three straight Eiji Sawamura Awards (NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award), and three straight Pacific League Most Valuable Player. In his career, Yamamoto boasts a 1.82 ERA and 922 strikeouts over six seasons.

On the international scene, Yamamoto was a starter and Olympian on Japan’s gold-medal-winning 2020 baseball team. Yamamoto and Japan also captured gold at the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami.

As a pitcher, Yamamoto has five pitches above average or better in his arsenal. The four-seam fastball averages 95 mph with a top velocity of 97 mph. He also throws a two-seam fastball, a cutter, and a curveball. According to his personal scouting report in Baseball Prospectus, his best pitch is a separator.