Star Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has agreed to terms to join the Dodgers, according to ESPN and multiple reports, ending his highly anticipated free agency with the second-largest guaranteed contract for a pitcher in MLB history.
The deal is worth $325 million for 12 years, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.
The 25-year-old Yamamoto, who has won three consecutive MVP awards and Sawamura Awards – Japanese baseball’s equivalent of the Cy Young – drew significant interest from the New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Since transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation of his previous team, the Orix Buffaloes, in 2019, Yamamoto has dominated Nippon Professional Baseball like no one before him. Over 820⅓ innings, he has a 1.65 career ERA, struck out nearly five times as many hitters as he walked and allowed just one home run every 28 innings.
With a fastball clocked at 99 mph, a devastating split-fingered fastball and a looping curveball, he has an elite arsenal. At 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, he lacks the size of a typical frontline starter, but teams pursuing him seemed convinced he will find success no matter his size.
Much more to come on this story.