Talking about money. Yoshinobu Yamamoto reportedly agreed to a 12-year contract worth $325 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers after accepting offers from numerous clubs.
MLB official Jeff Passan said the deal includes two opt-outs, a $50 million signing bonus, and unlike Shohei Ohtani’s contract, there are no deferred payments. This contract exceeds the seven-year, $155 million contract the New York Yankees gave Masahiro Tanaka in 2014.
Although not necessarily the most reliable source of information, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Yankees’ offer was $300 million.
Yamamoto, a five-time NPB All-Star, made his debut with the Orix Buffaloes in 2017, three days after turning 19 years old. In the past three years, the 25-year-old has won the Triple Crown for three consecutive years (best ERA, most wins, most strikeouts), won the Sawamura Eiji Award (NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award) three years in a row, and won the Pacific League MVP three years in a row. Consecutive awards. In his career, Yamamoto boasts a 1.82 ERA and 922 strikeouts in six seasons.
On the international stage, Yamamoto was a starting pitcher for the gold medal-winning 2020 Japan National Baseball Team and was an All-Olympic player. Yamamoto and Japan also won gold at the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Miami.
As a pitcher, Yamamoto has five pitches that are above average. His four-seam fastball averages 95 mph and his top velocity reaches 97 mph. He also throws a two-seam fastball, cutter, and curveball. His best pitch is a splitter, according to his Baseball Guide direct scouting report.