The Los Angeles Dodgers said Wednesday they have signed a 12-year contract with Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
MLB.com reported last week, quoting sources, that the team had agreed to a $325 million deal with the 25-year-old who led Japan's Pacific League in wins, ERAs, strikeouts and winning percentage the past three seasons for the Orix Buffaloes.
Yamamoto, who joins two-way star and World Baseball Classic teammate Shohei Ohtani, attended a press conference later Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
"Good afternoon. My name is Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the LA Dodgers," the three-time Pacific League MVP said in English. "I am beyond ecstatic to become a member of this historic franchise and cannot express how much it means to me to be able to call Los Angeles my new home."
"From today moving forward, I promise to all the fans of LA that I'll focus everything to become a better player and a world champion as a member of the Dodgers."
Yamamoto also said Ohtani was one of the reasons for his decision to join the Dodgers. Earlier this month, Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman were all present when Yamamoto was invited to Dodger Stadium.
Yamamoto said he prioritized teams that could keep winning and felt the Dodgers were the closest to his heart, adding people in the front office are very reliable.
Yamamoto's contract represents the most guaranteed dollars for a pitcher, surpassing Gerrit Cole's nine-year, $324 million deal with the New York Yankees, according to MLB.com.
None of the teams pulled out of the Yamamoto sweepstakes, leading to the mega deal, his agent Joel Wolfe explained. The New York Mets, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants reportedly were among the teams in the race.
"It has been an exciting couple of weeks for the Dodgers community," Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said. "Being able to add a starting pitcher as decorated and talented as Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a great way to wrap up 2023 and to add to what we expect to be a thrilling 2024 season."
The Dodgers introduced Ohtani two weeks earlier after agreeing to a record $700 million, 10-year deal.
In announcing the deal, the Dodgers posted a video featuring Yamamoto wearing a jersey with 18 on their X social media account.
Yamamoto, the Buffaloes' fourth-round draft pick ahead of the 2017 season, had a 16-6 record with a career-best 1.21 ERA and 169 strikeouts over 164 innings in 23 games this year.
Yamamoto won the Eiji Sawamura Award for Japan's top starting pitcher in the past three seasons, helping Orix win three league pennants over the same span. He has a 70-29 career record with a 1.82 ERA in seven years.
"You don't win three MVP awards by the age of 25 without an exceptional combination of talent, work ethic and mental toughness," said Andrew Friedman, president of Dodgers baseball operations.
"He's an elite pitcher with an impressive dedication to his craft who will only become more dynamic in a Dodger uniform. We are thrilled for him to be a mainstay at the top of our starting rotation for years to come."
To secure Yamamoto, the Dodgers are expected to pay a posting fee of around $50.6 million to the Osaka-based Buffaloes.
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