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Yoshinobu Yamamoto joins the Los Angeles Dodgers with sky high expectations. Not only from his success in Japan, but by having the highest guaranteed contract in AAV and years for a pitcher.
His goal was very obvious in wanting to win games. Yamamoto was overwhelmed by the teams who gave him an offer and wanted his services, but he had a simple priority.
"It was very important for me for a team that wants to win and not only now but in the future as well," Yamamoto said through his interpreter Mako Allbee. "I really felt that through this whole process, The Dodgers provided that opportunity the most. "
Several teams including the New York Yankees and New York Mets had interest, but he Dodgers matched the fiscal offer by the latter and their prestige won him over.
Yamamoto downplayed Ohtani's presence when signing, saying he would've picked them regardless for their winning abilities.
"Through my talks with the front office, it was really clear that they wanted to win," Yamamoto said. But on top of that, the fact that Shohei was doing that (by taking less money up front) also signaled that it wasn't just the front office, but it was the players that bought into this winning atmosphere as well, so that really resonated with me.
I really felt the front office people were committed in the same direction."
Despite earning a large contract, the work has just begun to live up to it. The Dodgers are a team who had a great offense and fizzled out of the postseason last October because their pitching depth was depleted.
Walker Buehler is coming off his second Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2023 season.
Julio Urias remains a free agent and will likely be unsigned by the team after the legal trouble he's gone through.
They did add James Paxton and Tyler Glasnow by signing and trade, respectively, but their expectations don't come close to Yamamoto.
Longtime pitcher Clayton Kershaw is coming off an injury and won't return until July at the earliest. Shohei Ohtani will obviously not pitch in 2024 coming off a hybrid procedure to his elbow instead of Tommy John surgery.
Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes spoke about Yamamoto being special both on and off the field with his work ethic.
"There's a different level of intent and focus with each and every throw he makes leading up to that night's game," Gomes said. "Once on the mound, he features multiple weapons to navigate a lineup effectively. In addition to that, it is a truly special command that not only allows him to go deep into games, but when needed, he can feature swing-and-miss stuff that is elite."
Gomes described Yamamoto as "meticulous" for his routines in workout, recovery and diet to stay active.
In knowing something about MLB, Yamamoto got a taste of it in 2019 when attending a Dodgers playoff game as well as one in Oakland on a California trip. By coincidence, Kenta Maeda was pitching for the Dodgers.
Yamamoto's 12-year, $325 million contract through 2035 has no deferred payments compared to Ohtani. There are two opt-out options in his contract and they can kick in earlier or later depending on if he has Tommy John surgery or misses a significant amount of time with an elbow injury.
If Yamamoto has Tommy John surgery or misses 134 consecutive service days from 2024-2029 due to an elbow issue, he can opt out after the 2031 and 2033 seasons.
In the event Yamamoto is healthy through his first six years, he can opt out after the 2029 and 2031 seasons.
For the injury scenario, the Dodgers could gain a $10 million conditional option for 2036.
Yamamoto will be asked to carry the Dodgers rotation with little to no grace period. He is only making $5 million in 2024, yet the expectations will always remain high.
'There is that sense of relief of saying 'I'm finally here when I finally made it,' but obviously this is where it all starts and I still got to put in the work from here on out to continue to strive to get better," Yamamoto said.
In reality, Yamamoto has barely been on a huge radar compared to others in NPB. While it's true he's won the Sawamura Award three times and had several accolades as an ace for the Orix Buffaloes, the pressure has been minimal.
Despite their recent on-field success, Orix is one of the least popular teams in Japan and plays second fiddle to the Hanshin Tigers in the Kansai market.
Most of the media and fans of this area will be loud and critical of the Tigers like they're an East Coast team in an intense manner.
The Orix Buffaloes on the other hand don't have attendance even close to Hanshin in percentage. At Kyocera Dome, it's very easy to walk up and buy a ticket on Gameday with an electronic kiosk available.
In perspective, Yamamoto's humble beginnings started in the draft, where he was a fourth-round selection out of high school.
"Looking back at my high school self, you'd probably be very surprised at where I am now," Yamamoto said. "But I really feel like I have been doing the same thing since I entered NPB at 18 years old. But I think I was also blessed and very lucky to be surrounded by the right people to support me to where I am now."
His career up to this point has led to an ability to rise up and. be anonymous in Japan aside from the baseball fanatics due to playing for Orix.
Yamamoto gave up multiple runs in his only stateside appearance during the WBC win against Mexico while in Miami. He couldn't get the shutdown inning, yet he was bailed out by Japan's offense in the 9th inning, capped off by a sayonara hit by Munetaka Murakami.
These first few months will be uncharted waters, which he downplayed how anyone coming to MLB from Japan will need to adjust to the culture changes and the schedule of pitching every five days as opposed to once a week.
Southern California's media market doesn't have the same intensity as New York or Boston, but there's still plenty of people who will be loud if there is struggling.
The rotation spotlight will be on Yamamoto as he comes to Chavez Ravine. How does he handle this pressure from humble beginnings? Time will tell.
"From today moving forward, I promise to all the fans of LA that I will focus my everything to become a better player and to become a world champion," Yamamoto said. "As a member of the Dodgers, I'll stop simply admiring the players I looked up to, but rather strive to become the player that others want to become."
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