ESPN Insider Believes Yoshinobu Yamamoto To Dodgers Isn’t Out of the Question

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed the greatest free-agent player we will ever see in our lifetimes. However, the job is not done for the Boys in Blue. If they want a real shot at winning title number eight, this is just the beginning. 

The Dodgers are good right now, but that’s not enough to get over the hump, and that includes their starting pitching. The newest Dodger, Shohei Ohtani, will not pitch until 2025, as he's recovering from reported Tommy John Surgery. So, adding another ace-level arm is crucial for LA, and they could do so by signing another big-time Japanese talent, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. 

Ohtani signed the richest contract in sports history, but Los Angeles still has money to spend. MLB insider for ESPN Jeff Passan says Yamamoto is not out of the question for the Dodgers. 

So, yes, the Dodgers certainly will be in the bidding for Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, whose suitors include the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and even the Blue Jays, who would hate to be spurned twice. Adding him and Ohtani isn't out of the question. By Game 1 of the 2024 season, which sees the Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea, Yamamoto could be the starting pitcher, with Ohtani hitting behind Betts and Freeman. It would be must-watch TV, whether in the United States or abroad.

^{(per Jeff Passan via ESPN)}

Yamamoto, 25, is projected to earn a contract in the $300 million range. 

MLB insider from the New York Post, Jon Heyman, lists the Los Angeles Dodgers as among the perceived favorites along with the two New York teams, the Yankees and Mets. 

The Ohtani domino was the one piece the MLB was waiting to fall. Now, we should see some signing this week, and hopefully, the Dodgers can secure another tremendous talent, preferably Yamamoto.