Dodgers Rumors: Latest Update on Top Free Agent Yoshinobu Yamamoto Could Bode Well for LA
Entering the offseason, the Dodgers have a clear need for starting pitching. This past season their rotation was held together by strings and once the playoffs came around, the string completely broke off.
There aren’t many for sure members in the starting rotation for next season, so the front office is going to have some work to do. They know that they can’t duplicate their efforts from this season if they want to give themselves a realistic chance to win the World Series.
The team will have plenty of options, both via the trade market and free agency. But one expected free agent could be the biggest game-changer of them all. That would be Japanese superstar Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is expected to be posted for him to sign in MLB.
Yamamoto is only 25 years old and is considered the best pitcher to be coming over from Japan. His stuff is electric, and he would give the Dodgers a home run signing if they were to land him.
Some of the biggest competition for the Dodgers to sign Yamamoto will likely be the San Francisco Giants and both New York teams. However, the latest reporting seems to indicate that LA could be in a good spot.
“According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the Giants did not receive a final opportunity to counter New York’s offer because Senga was keen on joining a Mets rotation that included Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer when the season began. After trading both future Hall of Fame pitchers, the Mets cannot offer that enticement to Yamamoto now. And there’s a sense within the industry that the Giants won’t allow another team to outbid them for his services.”
Per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic
If the financial monsters in the Mets are out of the running, LA should be able to outbid anyone if they are serious about Yamamoto. It may come down to a good old-fashioned bidding war between the Giants and Dodgers, which would be fascinating in itself.
Landing Yamamoto would give the Dodgers a legitimate ace-level pitcher to go along with Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller in the rotation. They could fill the rest of the starters out with a few other signings, but this would be their frontline starter this winter.
The front office has some choices to make this offseason, with Yamamoto being one of the biggest ones. The timeline isn’t clear, but getting Yamamoto may also help the Dodgers land Shohei Ohtani as well. The two played together in Japan and would be a nice one-two punch on the team next season, even with Ohtani not pitching.
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!
Yamamoto would fill a big need, he shoukd definitely be on the priority list,but Ohtani doesn’t fill any needs! Can he pitch? Not this year and maybe never, can he play 3rd base or outfield? No, can he be the edgy Kirk Gibson type personality the team needs? No, can he fill the seats? They are already full!
I haven’t had a lot of comments for awhile. Time to change all that. Heard a lot of bad mouthing Bellinger while he was here. Bad mouthing Roberts. Sure enough. Roberts could be manager of the year. Bellinger will get MLB votes. It is time for some clear thinking. We lost in the first round. Was it Roberts ‘ fault? No. Kershaw? No. Betts? No. Freeman, Outman, Muncy? No. The blame belongs with the front office. Trevor Bauer handcuffed the team. For two plus years. Cody’s shoulder was more serious than they thought. He played when he should have been on the mend. And then they let him go. They needed to do a reset this year. They won 100 games when it was a question mark even making the playoffs. Time to build on that. Yamamoto is a game changer. Japanese pitchers have excelled for us. And he is young. We need to go all out for him and also for Ohtani. Remember “The Boys of Summer” ? From 1947 to 1956 they won ONE World Series. They won SIX pennants. We have had a good run in the playoffs. ONE World Series win. But don’t forget; we actually have two. 2017. Building on the Jackie Robinson years, the Koufax, Drysdale, Davis, Davis, and Wills years came. 1959-1966. Three series wins and four appearances in eight years. Maybe the next eight years will be the Ohtani, Yamamoto, Miller, Pepiot, Betts, Outman, Freeman, and Buehler years. With Clayton finishing his career at the start of the run.