The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed the signing of Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto during a press conference on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old athlete made the jump to North America by signing a 12-year contract with the Californian team. The latter did not confirm the amount of the agreement, but several media outlets confirm that the young man signed a contract worth a total of $325 million.
Yamamoto is the Dodgers' second big signing on the free-agent market this offseason. They also offered star player Shohei Ohtani the largest contract in history, a 10-year, $700 million deal. The Los Angeles organization also acquired shooting guard Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot from the Tampa Bay Rays.
To return to Yamamoto, the Nippon was coveted by several major baseball teams. He has burned down his country's best league in recent years. Discovered by North American fans during the last World Classic, he was recently released by the Orix Buffaloes to make the jump to the Major Leagues.
In 2023, the right-hander went 17-6 with a 1.42 ERA. He also struck out 176 opponents.