MLB Rumors: Yoshinobu Yamamoto's $325M Dodgers Contract Has Opt-Outs After 6, 8 Years | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Mia Horton The Los Angeles Dodgers' agreement on a 12-year, $325 million contract includes player optouts after the sixth (2029) and eighth (2031) seasons, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal added that the deal is "somewhat backloaded" and that "Yamamoto would walk away from higher salaries if he opts out."
The Dodgers have now added the top two free agents available after previously inking Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million deal. A total of $680 million on that contract has been deferred to 2034-2043.
ESPN's Jeff Passan previously added more information on Yamamoto's deal. It doesn't include any deferred money and also includes a $50 million signing bonus. In addition, it's the richest contract ever signed by a pitcher in MLB history, beating out the New York Yankees' Gerrit Cole by $1 million.
The Dodgers have gone all out to add star talent this offseason, notably picking up Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays via trade as well. Glasnow then signed a five-year, $136.5 million contract with the Dodgers.
L.A. seemingly has a bottomless pit of money at its disposal and is clearly going all-in right now to win a World Series. Whether that works out remains to be seen, but there's no denying this team has MLB's best roster on paper.
Yamamoto looks like a staff ace, for example. The 25-year-old, who helped Japan win the World Baseball Classic in March, is a three-time Pacific League MVP and has been Nippon Professional Baseball's top pitcher three years running. Whether his skills can translate to the bigs remains to be seen, but the potential is clearly there.
Kyle Glaser of Baseball America offered this note to close out his scouting report.
"Yamamoto will have to adjust from pitching once a week in Japan to every five days in MLB, but like Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideo Nomo before him, he has the stuff and aptitude to successfully make that transition. He projects to be a No. 2 starter and has a chance to contend for Cy Young Awards."
Fans should get an early look at Yamamoto with the Dodgers opening the season on March 20 and 21 against the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea.
