Dodgers ‘Aggressively’ Going After Yoshinobu Yamamoto With Help From Shohei Ohtani Deferrals
After two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani announced that he was signing a record-setting 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, it was assumed that they may stop spending. However, Ohtani had a trick up his sleeve and decided to defer the majority of his salary until the conclusion of his contract with LA.
Within Ohtani’s contract, he agreed to defer all but $2 million of his annual salary each season. This means that $680 of the $700 million that he is owed will be paid out at the end of his 10-year contract.
With the extra savings that the Dodgers’ front office now has, they are expected to use that to go after more starting pitching help. This includes Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whom LA has been linked with heavily this season.
National MLB Insider Russell Dorsey is reporting that the Dodgers are ‘aggressively’ going away Yamamoto with the help of the deferrals from Ohtani’s contract.
Landing Yamamoto would be an absolute game-changer for the Dodgers. He has electric stuff on the mound and would provide them with an ace-level pitcher to head up the rotation.
He is seen by many in the industry as the best pitcher to be coming over from Japan – which is saying a lot considering the talented pitchers that have come over in the past.
If LA is able to sign Yamamoto, they will complete their goal of becoming Japan’s team. MLB Insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today said that this was a goal of the Dodgers during an interview with our very own Doug McKain.
It remains to be seen if the money will match up for the Dodgers and Yamamoto, with the large number of teams competing for his services. But one thing is for sure, the Dodgers are trying their best to put the best possible team on the field next season.
Photo Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
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