Two Japanese free agents have now signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than $1 billion combined.
After landing Shohei Ohtani on a 10-year contract worth $700 million, the Dodgers won the race to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a long-term deal worth more than $300 million.
Precisely, Yamamoto's deal with LA is for 12 years and $325 million.
Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on an 12-year, $325 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 22, 2023
Yoshinobu Yamamoto contract details: Japanese star locked in for 12 years, $325 million
According to Bob Nightengale, the Dodgers are giving Yamamoto a signing bonus worth $50 million.
The Yankees offer was $300 million over 10.years.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 22, 2023
The Dodgers offer was $325 million over 12 years with signing bonus worth about $50 million.
By comparison, the Yankees were prepared to pay the pitcher $300 million over 10 years.
UPDATE: The Dodgers are also responsible for paying a posting fee of $50 million, bringing the total cost to sign Yamamoto to $375 million.
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
The numbers committed by the Dodgers this offseason are staggering. Ohtani and Yamamoto alone are promised more than a billion. But that's not even the end of LA's moves. They've also traded for Tyler Glasnow and penned him to a five-year extension worth $136.5 million.
The Dodgers have spent a combined $1,161,500,000 on Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow this offseason.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 22, 2023
Deferred money has played a large role in getting those contracts done. Ohtani deferred the majority of his $700 million a decade down the line to allow the Dodgers to sign more players. The goal, obviously, is to win a World Series.
Jon Heyman of MLB.com reported that Yamamoto is not deferring any money himself.
Yamamoto $325M Dodgers deal contains no deferrals
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 22, 2023
With Glasnow and Yamamoto added to the pitching staff, the Dodgers' biggest concern going into the 2024 season is essentially sorted.
And they could still go out and make more signings since Ohtani's deferred contract gives them so much leeway.
Yamamoto now enters the league with immense pressure, arguably more than even Ohtani faced. His track record in the NBP was impeccable but he's going to throw his first MLB pitch while already making $27 million per year.