Rival Executive Explains Why Yoshinobu Yamamoto Might Not Pick Dodgers in Free Agency

What will the star pitcher do?

Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the belle of the MLB ball at this point, arguably the best free agent pitcher still on the market. 

A multitude of teams are on pins and needles waiting for the star pitcher to make up his mind. He has until Jan. 4 to sign a contract under the terms of MLB's posting system agreement with NPB, the top league in Japan.

Reportedly the likes of the Dodgers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies are in on the sweepstakes. The New York teams might be tough to beat given their resources, though clubs on the West Coast aren't giving up hope. 

Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently penned an article speaking about the odds of Yamamoto signing with each of the teams reportedly pursuing him. He had this to say about the Dodgers and their chances with Yamamoto: 

They obviously can fit Yamamoto into their budget now that Ohtani agreed to take a $2M salary for the 10 years of his $700M deal (which was valued at $437.8M by the union, thanks to the $68M a year in deferrals). The question is whether Ohtani’s presence is a plus.

They obviously look like a juggernaut with Ohtani, but one rival guessed that Yamamoto might prefer a bigger share of the spotlight. “He doesn’t want to be in Ohtani’s shadow,” that rival exec speculated."

- Jon Heyman per the



New York Post

The Dodgers have made a strong push to try and sign Yamamoto. This pitch reportedly included the presence of Shohei Ohtani and a host of other figures within the organization. 

There's no tangible word on whether Ohtani's arrival in Los Angeles would adversely impact the Dodgers' chances with Yamamoto. The speculation goes both ways. One would be hard-pressed to think that Ohtaini being a teammate could be looked at as a negative, assuming Yamamoto wants to win at the highest level. 

Despite the Dodgers nabbing Tyler Glasnow via trade, there's still a need for help within the rotation. If they can sign Yamamoto, the Dodgers suddenly have an elite one-two punch atop a rotation that would also include Walker Bueller, Bobby Miller and presumably Emmet Sheehan in 2024.