Dodgers Reportedly Meeting With Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday in Los Angeles

With Shohei Ohtani now officially signed, the Dodgers’ front office is on the lookout for starting pitching help. Their big target is Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who would instantly become their front-line starter.

According to MLB Insider Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports, Yamamoto and the Dodgers were meeting in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Yamamoto reportedly met with the New York Yankees on Monday in Los Angeles, and with the San Francisco Giants reportedly on Sunday. He has also been reportedly on the radar of the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, among others. New York Mets owner Steve Cohen flew to Japan to meet with him earlier in the offseason, too.

This is one of those rare times that the majority of big market teams are vying for the services of a free agent. We could see an all-time bidding war erupt for Yamamoto, which may take the Dodgers out of the running.

However, this is exactly the type of move that the team could make with the extra money saved from Shohei Ohtani’s contract deferrals. He wanted the team to build the best possible team around him, and landing Yamamoto would do just that.

Yamamoto has electric stuff on the mound and is regarded by many as the best pitcher to come from Japan. The Dodgers have had an interest in him for a while now, and they believe that they have a good chance to land him.

It’s been reported that Yamamoto grew up a fan of the Dodgers and that he may have a preference to play on the West Coast. That could help L.A. in the running, even if their offer isn’t as high as some others.

It really will come down to what Yamamoto wants from this free agency. If money is all he is after then he will go to the highest bidder, but if he wants to play for a winning organization — and alongside fellow Japanese star Shohei Ohtani — than he should look no further than the Dodgers.

Photo Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!