No doubt, the offseason is enlivened by baseball players from Japan. After Shohei Ohtani, all eyes are on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is also being courted by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The California team released the $700 million man to seduce the coveted pitcher from the Buffaloes, a team from Osaka, Japan. Yamamoto visited Dodger Stadium on Tuesday and Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were on hand.
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It's very likely that last season's American League MVP will use leverage to lure the 25-year-old right-hander to his new club. The two played together at the 2023 World Classic and won the prestigious tournament.
Yamamoto is one of the most popular free agents today. Several teams are reportedly following his case closely, including the Toronto Blue Jays, who hope to meet with him soon. Ohtani gave the Dodgers a good argument by agreeing that the majority of his 10-year contract won't be paid out until 2034. In fact, he will receive $2 million annually throughout the contract, so the remaining $680 million will be returned to him later. With more freedom in payroll, Los Angeles could add another big piece.
According to the New York Post newspaper, Yamamoto could sign a contract worth around $200 million.