Yoshinobu Yamamoto puts an end to ridiculous San Francisco rumors

Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, adding to their embarrassment of riches this coming season. Yamamoto inked a nine-year contract that can net him $324 million if he reaches all of his incentives. It's a bold move by an organization which lacks starting pitching.

If Yamamoto succeeds, his deal could become a bargain down the road. However, it is a measured risk by the Dodgers, who already signed Shohei Ohtani to a $700 million deal with a ton of deferred money.

In his Dodgers press conference, Yamamoto commented on the San Francisco Giants interest, stating he had nothing against the city itself, which is news given the recent bad press against San Fran. Yamamoto's agent, Joel Wolfe, made that clear.

"He thought that San Francisco really reminded him of Osaka and thought it was a beautiful city. ... If the Dodgers had not been pursuing him, there was a good chance San Francisco could have been his destination," Wolfe said.

MLB Rumors: Do MLB free agents have an issue signing with San Francisco?

Former Giants star Buster Posey claimed that some MLB free agents have an issue with the city of San Francisco, which is where this article stems from. I did not make this up, I assure you. I love San Francisco.

“Something I think is noteworthy, something that unfortunately keeps popping up from players and even the players’ wives is there’s a bit of an uneasiness with the city itself, as far as the state of the city, with crime, with drugs,” Posey said, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. “Whether that’s all completely fair or not, perception is reality. It’s a frustrating cycle, I think, and not just with baseball. Baseball is secondary to life and the important things in life. But as far as a free-agent pursuit goes, I have seen that it does affect things.”

Posey's statement here was notable, but Yamamoto is the first top-tier free agent to comment on the matter. Wolfe suggesting that location -- and the city itself -- was not the problem is significant. Hopefully, the Giants are able to secure top talent moving forward. San Francisco is a great place to play for those willing to play there.