Yoshinobu Yamamoto likely would have ended up a member of the Dodgers whether Shohei Ohtani had signed there or not.
But it certainly didn’t hurt the Dodgers’ chances of landing the Japanese ace.
Los Angeles made the signing official on Wednesday, and Yamamoto met with reporters for the first time at Dodger Stadium following the high-profile pursuit that included the Mets and Yankees.
Yamamoto agreed to a 12-year, $325 million deal late Thursday night and became the second Japanese superstar that the organization landed this offseason.
The 25-year-old revealed Los Angeles may have always been the preferred destination from the get-go.
“I wouldn’t say [Ohtani] was the sole reason I decided to come here,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter during his introductory press conference. “Even if he went somewhere else, I probably still would have ended up in LA as a Dodger. But on top of that, Shohei is obviously not only just one of the best Japanese players, but he’s one of the best players period in all of MLB. And so to be able to play with him from here on out, it definitely means a lot to [me].”
The Dodgers also offered Yamamoto, who saw a Los Angeles playoff game in person at 19 years old, something that he felt he wasn’t going to from the other teams courting him — a chance to win.
While the Dodgers fell short of their goals in 2023 and lost in the NLDS to the underdog Diamondbacks, they’ve continued to be a perennial World Series contender and have been aggressive in their efforts to boost their roster.
In addition to adding Ohtani and Yamamoto, the Dodgers acquired Tyler Glasnow in a trade with the Rays to bolster their starting rotation.
That is without mentioning the star-studded lineup already in Hollywood that includes Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith.
“It was very important to me to go to a team that wants to win,” Yamamoto said. “And not only now, but in the future as well. I really felt that through this whole process, the Dodgers provided that opportunity to the most.”
Yamamto’s contract is the richest total money deal for a pitcher — beating out Yankees ace Gerrit Cole’s deal by $1 million — and was made possible in part by Ohtani’s decision to defer 97 percent of his money until the end of that deal.
It was a fact that wasn’t lost on Yamamoto.
“It was through my talks with the front office, it was really clear that they wanted to win,” Yamamoto said. “But on top of that, the fact that Shohei was doing that also signaled to [me] that it wasn’t just the front office. It was also the players that have bought into this winning atmosphere as well, so that really resonated with me.”
The righty will have a lot of expectations to fulfill now that his decision has been made.
Considering the numbers he put up for the Nippon Professional Baseball’s Orix Buffaloes, it’s easy to see why teams were jockeying to land Yamamoto.
He won three straight MVPs and Sawamura Awards — the NPL’s Cy Young Award equivalent — while posting a 1.65 ERA.
Both the Mets and Yankees met with Yamamoto several times, and the Bronx Bombers were among the favorites to land the star while the Mets also offered $325 million before the Dodgers won out.
Nevertheless, Yamamoto’s agent Joel Wolfe said, according to the Los Angeles Times, that if the Dodgers didn’t pursue the star, he might’ve ended up on the rival Giants.
“Throughout this posting process, many teams showed great interest and each recruited me with great enthusiasm. It was a month that made me feel greatly overjoyed,” Yamamoto said, without specifically mentioning any single team.
“Every team I met with had many great qualities. After much consideration, unfortunately, I had to decline their offers, but I truly appreciated all the time and resources everyone spent throughout this process.”