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Sports Dec 22, 2023
Yoshinobu Yamamoto. | Photo courtesy of Orixbaseballclub/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to terms with star Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on a 12-year, $325 million contract, the largest deal for a pitcher in years and value in Major League Baseball history, according to reports published Thursday evening.
The deal includes a $50 million signing bonus and does not include deferrals, the sports news website The Athletic reported, citing major league sources it did not identify.
The contract includes two opt-outs, according to ESPN.
The Dodgers will also pay an additional $50.6 million posting fee to Yamamoto’s previous team, the Orix Buffaloes, ESPN reported.
The deal is pending a physical.
There was no response to an email sent to the Dodgers Thursday night seeking comment.
Yamamoto chose the Dodgers over the New York Mets, who offered a similar contract, and New York Yankees, who offered $300 million, ESPN reported.
Combined with the 10-year, $700 million contract to two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers have committed more than $1 billion to two players in their quest for the first World Series championship since 2020 and second since 1989.
The 25-year-old right-hander was the MVP of Japan’s Pacific League and winner of the league’s Eiji Sawamura Award as its best starting pitcher each of the past three seasons.
Yamamoto had a 70-29 record with a 1.82 ERA in seven seasons with the Buffaloes.
Yamamoto was a member of the championship-winning Japanese team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and the gold medal-winning team in the Tokyo Olympics.
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