Yoshinobu Yamamoto follows in Shohei Ohtani's footsteps, but finds cuter dog

The Los Angeles Dodgers did their best Avengers impression when Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million contract to join Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Tyler Glasnow in the City of Angels. The 25-year-old won three straight Nippon Professional Baseball MVP awards in Japan before making the trek to L.A. He is expected to serve as the Dodgers' Opening Day starter in 2024.

It was a historical signing on multiple fronts. Yamamoto is officially the most expensive pitcher in MLB history, with his contract surpassing Gerrit Cole's $324 million agreement with the Yankees. Yamamoto signed only weeks after the Dodgers gave Ohtani $700 million in guaranteed money. Factor in the Dodgers' trade for Tyler Glasnow and the subsequent extension, and Los Angeles has committed well over $1 billion in funds to the 2023-24 offseason.

Yamamoto also doubles down on the Dodgers' increased media presence in Japan. Several teams around the MLB are trying to break into the Asian market and increase their scouting presence on the continent, but the Dodgers now employ the two biggest Japanese superstars since Ichiro. It's a very cool development, on-field implications aside.

Those "on-field implications," of course, are that Los Angeles is about to absolutely dominate the regular season. Probably the playoffs, too. Baseball is a game of chance. Anything can happen, especially in the postseason. But, the Dodgers look better than the field on paper.

Perhaps more importantly, however, Yamamoto adds another gorgeous pup to the Dodgers' inner circle. Here is a photo of Yoshinobu and his dog, Mikan.

Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto one-ups Shohei Ohtani with puppy photo

It's not a competition, of course, but we all remember when Shohei Ohtani revealed his dog to the baseball world during his MVP acceptance speech.

That was followed by rampant speculation that the name of Ohtani's dog was somehow connected to the team he planned to sign with in free agency. 'Dodger' was the common guess. That's a pretty standard dog name, if a little on the nose. It certainly made more sense than 'Blue Jay' or 'Giant,' as that dog is neither a blue-feathered bird nor a giant. He's not wearing red socks either, and he's not from New York.

In the end, Ohtani told reporters his dog's name is 'Dekopin,' or 'Decoy' for the American audience. Good name. It has nothing to do with free agency or the Dodgers, but a good name all the same.

The Dodgers now have two of the most famous dogs in the MLB on their side. This is extremely bad news for the rest of the league. The only way to combat the Dodgers' juggernaut status, methinks, is to release more dog photos.