Dodgers a strong contender for Yoshinobu Yamamoto too?
Aug 4, 2021; Yokohama, Japan; Team Japan pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (17) reacts against Korea in a baseball semifinal match during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Dodgers are believed to be the favorites to sign Shohei Ohtani in free agency. They apparently have a strong plan B just in case they don’t sign the two-way star.
SNY’s Andy Martino reported on Wednesday that the Dodgers are also a strong contender to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers are believed to be a strong contender for Yamamoto, too. If LAD does not end up with Ohtani, that's a major threat to Yankees/Mets chances.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) November 29, 2023
Though he is not a two-way player like Ohtani, Yamamoto is about as desirable of a pitching prospect as it gets.
The 25-year-old pitcher has been the Pacific League MVP for three years in a row, a span during which he won the pitching triple crown in each season. He has gone 70-29 with a 1.82 ERA in his Nippon Professional Baseball career.
In addition to the Dodgers, the New York Mets and Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox are listed among the favorites to sign Yamamoto. The San Francisco Giants are also reportedly determined to sign either Ohtani or Yamamoto.
The Dodgers tend to be stacked in the hitting department, but their rotation is mostly filled with young pitchers entering the 2024 season. Clayton Kershaw is a free agent and recovering from shoulder surgery. Walker Buehler is coming back from Tommy John surgery. Tony Gonsolin is out for the season due to Tommy John surgery. And Dustin May is recovering from elbow surgery. Adding a high-end pitcher could help stabilize the NL West powerhouse’s rotation.
