5 best free agents available after Shohei Ohtani deal and where they’ll sign

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani's unique contract structure has allowed the Dodgers to remain prominent in the Yoshinobu Yamamoto pursuit. We know Yamamoto has professed an openess to playing with another Japanese player. He recently won the World Baseball Classic right alongside Ohtani. There's a very real chance the Dodgers present the best opportunity to win and the most lucrative offer, all while keeping Yamamoto close to home on the West Coast.

Yamamoto is known to have several eager suitors, but it's difficult not to peg the Dodgers as the most sensible on paper. The Mets and Yankees have both made extensive efforts to woo the 25-year-old, and Yamamoto is known to be friends with Mets ace Kodai Senga. That said, the Mets and Yankees both missed the playoffs in 2023. Obviously the Yankees' outlook changes with the Soto trade, but the Dodgers are the most sustainably built winner in the mix for Yamamoto's services, and L.A. is about to be the MLB franchise in Yamamoto's native Japan.

The righty's contract could exceed $300 million based on recent reporting. The Dodgers continue to prove they are willing to break the bank to land the best players. Ohtani is only due $2 million next season and pitching remains a major concern for a roster that is otherwise difficult to poke holes in. Ohtani isn't expected on the mound in 2024 after elbow surgery and Clayton Kershaw is no guarantee to return.

For as much faith as the Dodgers might have in Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller, there's a clear need to add at least one bankable ace to the top of the rotation. Yamamoto is young, but he should succeed early and often in the MLB. He just won his third straight MVP award in Japan's NPB, tying Ichiro. He went 16-6 in 23 starts last season, posting a 1.21 ERA and 0.884 WHIP with 169 strikeouts in 164.0 innings pitched.

The Dodgers want him, and unfortunately for those dreading a competitive monopoly in Hollywood, there's not much stopping them from getting Yamamoto.