Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers Agree to Lucrative 12-Year Contract, per Report

Los Angeles appears to have its new ace.

After adding the consensus best arm on the market in designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly struck gold again.

Los Angeles has agreed to sign Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year contract worth $325 million, according to reports from Jack Curry of YES Network and ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday.

Yamamoto, 25, logged a 70–29 record, 1.82 ERA and 922 strikeouts across seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. He notched a 1.16 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 171 innings for the Orix Buffaloes last season.

Posted by Orix this offseason, Yamamoto attracted attention from the Dodgers, the New York Yankees and the New York Mets, among other teams.

Los Angeles has won 100 games each of the last three seasons since winning the 2020 World Series, but has failed to advance past the NLCS each time.

The Dodgers open their season on March 28 against the St. Louis Cardinals.