Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Agent Thinks Shohei Ohtani Played Big Role in His Client Joining Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the clear winners of the off-season, and more than six weeks remain until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. So far they have signed the best available free-agent pitcher (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) to a record 12-year, $325 million contract as well as two-way star Shohei Ohtani to an even more eye-popping 10-year, $700 million deal.

Those two events aren’t entirely unrelated.

Ohtani was the first to sign, announcing his decision on Dec. 9 before officially signing on Dec. 11. Yamamoto’s signing needed longer to secure, but it was worth the wait. Yamamoto’s agent, Joel Wolfe, believes having Ohtani under contract first made a difference in Yamamoto’s decision to sign in Los Angeles.

“I think it made a big difference,” said Yamamoto’s agent, Joel Wolfe. “Ohtani was so warm and welcoming to him, as was [his interpreter] Ippei [Mizuhara], that I think it just added to his level of comfort that he knew he could walk into this clubhouse and have a teammate, a friend, Japanese-speaking people, to help him with his adjustment.”

– Joel Wolfe, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s agent with Wasserman

It might have helped that the two were familiar each other as teammates from the most recent World Baseball Classic. Either way, Ohtani appears to be one heck of a recruiter. He’s not pushy, according to Yamamoto.

Ohtani was part of a small group of Dodger players that met with Yamamoto at Dodger Stadium during his free-agent visit. Wolfe said other teams deployed star players to meet with Yamamoto too, either in-person or virtually, but only the Dodgers could send the most talented all-around player in the sport.

The Dodgers’ group effort in recruiting the 25-year-old pitcher is evidence of their desire to provide World Series titles for their fans and the city of Los Angeles.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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